We present the first science results from the Sub-orbital Local Interstellar Cloud Experiment ( SLICE ) : moderate resolution 1020 – 1070 Å spectroscopy of four sightlines through the local interstellar medium .
High signal-to-noise ( S/N ) spectra of \eta Uma , \alpha Vir , \delta Sco , and \zeta Oph were obtained during a 21 April 2013 rocket flight .
The SLICE observations constrain the density , molecular photoexcitation rates , and physical conditions present in the interstellar material towards \delta Sco and \zeta Oph .
Our spectra indicate a factor of two lower total N ( H _ { 2 } ) than previously reported for \delta Sco , which we attribute to higher S/N and better scattered light control in the new SLICE observations .
We find N ( H _ { 2 } ) = 1.5 \times 10 ^ { 19 } cm ^ { -2 } on the \delta Sco sightline , with kinetic and excitation temperatures of 67 and 529 K , respectively , and a cloud density of n _ { H } = 56 cm ^ { -3 } .
Our observations of the bulk of the molecular sightline toward \zeta Oph are consistent with previous measurements ( N ( H _ { 2 } ) \approx 3 \times 10 ^ { 20 } cm ^ { -2 } at T _ { 01 } ( H _ { 2 } ) = 66 K and T _ { exc } = 350 K ) .
However , we detect significantly more rotationally excited H _ { 2 } towards \zeta Oph than previously observed .
We infer a cloud density in the rotationally excited component of n _ { H } \approx 7600 cm ^ { -3 } and suggest that the increased column densities of excited H _ { 2 } are a result of the ongoing interaction between \zeta Oph and its environment ; also manifest as the prominent mid-IR bowshock observed by WISE and the presence of vibrationally-excited H _ { 2 } molecules observed by HST .