Atomic Hydrogen in the Milky Way: A Stepping Stone in the Evolution of Galaxies

Atomic hydrogen (Hi) is a critical stepping stone in the gas evolution cycle of the interstellar medium (ISM) of the Milky Way. Hi traces both the cold, premolecular state before star formation and the warm, diffuse ISM before and after star formation. This review describes new, sensitive Hi absorption and emission surveys, which, together with high angular and spectral resolution Hi emission data, have revealed the physical properties of Hi, its structure, and its association with magnetic fields. We give an overview of the Hi phases and discuss how Hi properties depend on the environment and what its structure can tell us about feedback in the ISM. Key findings include the following: The mass fraction of the cold neutral medium is ?40% on average, increasing with A_Vdue to the increase of mean gas density. The cold disk extends to at least R ~ 25 kpc. Approximately 40% of the Hi is warm, with structural characteristics that derive from feedback events. Cold Hi is highly filamentary, whereas warm Hi is more smoothly distributed. We summarize future observational and simulation opportunities that can be used to unravel the 3D structure of the atomic ISM and the effects of heating and cooling on Hi properties.