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A hydrogen atom with proton and electron spins aligned (top) undergoes a flip of the electron spin, resulting in emission of a photon with a 21 cm wavelength (bottom) The hydrogen line, 21 centimeter line, or H I line [a] is a spectral line that is created by a change in the energy state of solitary, electrically neutral hydrogen atoms.
In its most common variant, 21 cm intensity mapping, the 21cm emission line of neutral hydrogen is used to trace the gas. The hydrogen follows fluctuations in the underlying cosmic density field, with regions of higher density giving rise to a higher intensity of emission.
There are emission lines from hydrogen that fall outside of these series, such as the 21 cm line. These emission lines correspond to much rarer atomic events such as hyperfine transitions. [ 1 ] The fine structure also results in single spectral lines appearing as two or more closely grouped thinner lines, due to relativistic corrections.
The strongest hydroxyl radical spectral line radiates at 18 centimeters, and atomic hydrogen at 21 centimeters (the hydrogen line). These two molecules, which combine to form water, are widespread in interstellar gas, which means this gas tends to absorb radio noise at these frequencies.
This is accomplished by looking at the 21-cm line emission produced by hot diffuse neutral hydrogen from distant galaxy clusters and from the intracluster medium. [1] This neutral hydrogen traces out the large scale structures in the universe, and so can be used to map out the large scale Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) structure of the universe.
The hydrogen line, 21 centimeter line or HI line refers to the electromagnetic radiation spectral line that is created by a change in the energy state of neutral hydrogen atoms. This electromagnetic radiation is at the precise frequency of 1420.40575177 MHz, which is equivalent to the vacuum wavelength of 21.10611405413 cm in free space.
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Hyperfine structure gives the 21 cm line observed in H I regions in interstellar medium. Carl Sagan and Frank Drake considered the hyperfine transition of hydrogen to be a sufficiently universal phenomenon so as to be used as a base unit of time and length on the Pioneer plaque and later Voyager Golden Record.