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Diffuse Interstellar Bands – The Unidentified Part of the Interstellar Absorption Spectrum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2016

Jacek Krełowski*
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, N. Copernicus University, Toruń, POLAND

Abstract

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The unidentified (since 1921) diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are discussed together with their relations to other interstellar absorptions sucn as: continuous extinction, polarization and atomic or molecular absorption lines. It is shown that DIBs do not form the absorption spectrum of one agent, but probably of several (3 or more). DIBs as well as other interstellar absorptions are usually formed in several clouds along a line-of-sight. Thus, they suffer Doppler splitting; the first high resolution profiles free of the latter effect are described. Since single interstellar clouds may differ not only in radial velocities but also in many physical (optical) parameters, the observed interstellar absorptions are ill-defined averages over all clouds situated along any line-of-sight. It is of basic importance to determine not only the single cloud profiles of diffuse bands, but also their relations to other interstellar absorptions in the same clouds. Intensity ratios of DIBs are shown to be sensitive to the shapes of extinction curves, depletion patterns of elements and molecular abundances in the considered clouds. The sensitivity of the DIBs to the variation in polarization is less documented but probably also present. Thus the diffuse lines are presented as the unidentified part of the absorption spectrum of interstellar matter. Their identification depends on the determination of their relations to other interstellar absorptions which must be determined precisely.

Type
Section I: Dust in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1989 

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