Bibcode
DOI
Iglesias-Groth, S.; Manchado, A.; García-Hernández, D. A.; González Hernández, J. I.; Lambert, D. L.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 685, Issue 1, pp. L55-L58.
Advertised on:
9
2008
Journal
Citations
71
Refereed citations
65
Description
We report high-resolution spectroscopy of the moderately reddened
(AV=3) early-type star Cernis 52 located in a region of the
Perseus molecular cloud complex with anomalous microwave emission. In
addition to the presence of the most common diffuse interstellar bands
(DIBs) we detect two new interstellar or circumstellar bands coincident
to within 0.01% in wavelength with the two strongest bands of the
naphthalene cation (C 10H+8) as
measured in gas-phase laboratory spectroscopy at low temperatures and
find marginal evidence for the third strongest band. Assuming these
features are caused by the naphthalene cation, from the measured
intensity and available oscillator strengths we find that 0.008% of the
carbon in the cloud could be in the form of this molecule. We expect
hydrogen additions to cause hydronaphthalene cations to be abundant in
the cloud and to contribute via electric dipole radiation to the
anomalous microwave emission. The identification of new interstellar
features consistent with transitions of the simplest polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon adds support to the hypothesis that this type of molecules
are the carriers of both diffuse interstellar bands and anomalous
microwave emission.
Related projects
Nucleosynthesis and molecular processes in the late stages of Stellar Evolution
Low- to intermediate-mass (M < 8 solar masses, Ms) stars represent the majority of stars in the Cosmos. They finish their lives on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) - just before they form planetary nebulae (PNe) - where they experience complex nucleosynthetic and molecular processes. AGB stars are important contributors to the enrichment of the
Domingo Aníbal
García Hernández