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Aliphatic hydrocarbon content of interstellar dust

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2020

T. W. Schmidt
Affiliation:
ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; email: timothy.schmidt@unsw.edu.au
B. Günay
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Ege University, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey; email: burcu.gunay@ege.edu.tr
M. G. Burton
Affiliation:
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG, Northern Ireland, UK
A. Rawal
Affiliation:
Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Abstract

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The mid-IR spectrum of the interstellar medium contains both aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon features. These are generally attributed to carbonaceous dust. The aliphatic component is of particular interest because it produces a significant 3.4 μm absorption feature. The optical depth of this feature is related to the number and type of aliphatic carbon C–H bonds in the line of sight. It is possible to estimate the column density of aliphatic carbon from quantitative analysis of the 3.4 μm interstellar feature, providing that the absorption coefficient of interstellar aliphatic hydrocarbon is known. We produced interstellar dust analogues with spectra closely matching astronomical observations. Using a combination of FTIR and 13C NMR spectroscopy, we determined an integrated absorption coefficient of the aliphatic component. The results thus obtained permit direct calibration of astronomical observations, providing rigorous estimates of the amount of aliphatic carbon in the ISM.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
© International Astronomical Union 2020

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