SEARCH · Search NASA
Results for “Interstellar extinction”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Gas Phase Spectroscopy of Cold PAH Ions: Contribution to the Interstellar Extinction and the Diffuse Interstellar Bands
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon molecules (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium (ISM) and constitute the building blocks of interstellar dust grains. Despite their inferred important role in mediating the energetic and chemical processes in thc ISM, their exact contribution to the interstellar extinction, and in particular to the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) remains unclear. The DIBs are spectral absorption features observed in the line of sight of stars that are obscured by diffuse interstellar clouds. More than 200 bands have been reported to date spanning from the near UV to the near IR with bandwidths ranging from 0.4 to 40 Angstroms (Tielens & Snow 1995). The present consensus is that the DIBs arise from free flying, gas-phase, organic molecules and/or ions that are abundant under the typical conditions reigning in the diffuse ISM. PAHs have been proposed as possible carriers (Allamandola et al. 1985; Leger & DHendecourt 1985). The PAH hypothesis is consistent with the cosmic abundance of Carbon and Hydrogen and with the required photostability of the DIB carriers against the strong VUV radiation field in the diffuse interstellar clouds. A significant fraction of PAHs is expected to be ionized in the diffuse ISM.
Unified model for interstellar extinction and polarization.
Interstellar polarization with graphite grains covered with dirty ice mantles matched with entire range of observed interstellar extinction
Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. II Interstellar extinction.
Evaluation of interstellar extinction curves over the region from 3600 to 1100 A for 17 stars. The observations were made by the two Wisconsin spectrometers on board the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2, with spectral resolutions of 10 and 20 A. The extinction curves generally show a pronounced maximum at 2175 plus or minus 25 A, a broad minimum in the region from 1800 to 1350 A, and finally a rapid rise to the far-ultraviolet. Large extinction variations from star to star are found, especially in the far-ultraviolet; however, with only two possible exceptions in this sample, the wavelength at the maximum of the extinction bump is essentially constant. These data are combined with visual and infrared observations to display the extinction behavior over a range in wavelength of about a factor of 20. The observations appear to require a multicomponent model of the interstellar dust.
Investigation of ultraviolet interstellar extinction
Results concerning interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet are reported. These results were initially obtained by using data from main-sequence stars and were extended to include supergiants and emission stars. The principal finding of the analysis of ultraviolet extinction is not only that it is wavelength dependent, but that if changes with galactic longitude in the U3 passband (lambda sub eff = 1621 A); it does not change significantly in the U2 passband (lambda sub eff = 2308 A). Where data are available in the U4 passband (lambda sub eff = 1537 A), they confirm the rapid rise of extinction in the ultraviolet found by other investigators. However, in all cases, emission stars must be used with great caution. It is important to realize that while extinction continues to rise toward shorter wavelengths in the ultraviolet, including the shortest ultraviolet wavelengths measured (1100 A), it no longer plays an important role in the X-ray region (50 A).
A catalog of ultraviolet interstellar extinction excesses for 1415 stars
Ultraviolet interstellar extinction excesses are presented for 1415 stars with spectral types B7 and earlier. The excesses with respect to V are derived from Astronomical Netherlands Satellite (ANS) 5-channel UV photometry at central wavelengths of approximately 1550, 1800, 2500, and 3300 A. A measure of the excess extinction in the 2200-A extinction bump is also given. The data are valuable for investigating the systematics of peculiar interstellar extinction and for studying the character of UV interstellar extinction in the general direction of stars for which the extinction-curve shape is unknown.
On graphite and interstellar extinction
Graphite particles and interstellar extinction
Interstellar extinction by quartz grains.
Interstellar extinction cross sections calculated for quartz particles, results indicate quartz is not appreciable component of interstellar grains
Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet.
Interstellar extinction in UV by measurement of stellar energy distributions between 3000 and 1200 angstroms
Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet
Interstellar extinction curves over the region 3600-1100 A for 17 stars are presented. The observations were made by the two Wisconsin spectrometers onboard the OAO-2 with spectral resolutions of 10 A and 20 A. The extinction curves generally show a pronounced maximum at 2175 plus or minus 25 A, a broad minimum in the region 1800-1350 A, and finally a rapid rise to the far ultraviolet. Large extinction variations from star to star are found, especially in the far ultraviolet; however, with only two possible exceptions in this sample, the wavelength at the maximum of the extinction bump is essentially constant. These data are combined with visual and infrared observations to display the extinction behavior over a range in wavelength of about a factor of 20.
Visible and ultraviolet /800-130 nm/ extinction of vapor-condensed silicate, carbon, and silicon carbide smokes and the interstellar extinction curve
The extinction curves from 800 to 130 nm (1.25-7.7/micron) of amorphous silicate smokes nominally of olivine and pyroxene composition, carbon smokes, and crystalline SiC smokes are presented. The SiC smoke occurred in the low-temperature (beta) cubic structural form. The SiC smoke showed an absorption edge which occurred at significantly longer wavelengths than the calculated extinction profile of the hexagonal SiC form previously used to calculate the interstellar extinction profile. Neither SiC nor amorphous silicates show an extinction band similar to the observed 6.6/micron astronomical extinction band. The infrared absorption peaks for the silicate and SiC samples near 10 microns and 11-13 microns, respectively, were also measured. The ultraviolet to infrared extinction ratio for the amorphous silicate samples is similar to the observed astronomical extinction ratio. The measured extinction ratios for SiC smokes are significantly below the interstellar extinction ratio. The extinction peak of the carbon smokes occurred at 4.0 and 4.25/micron, for samples of mean radii 13 and 6 nm, respectively. The extinction profile is distinctly different from that predicted for graphite grains of the same size, and is similar to that predicted for glassy carbon grains.
Interstellar extinction in the middle ultraviolet.
Interstellar extinction in middle UV, deriving normalized curve from photoelectric photometry data
Polycyclic hydrocarbons, Platt particles, and interstellar extinction.
Polycyclic hydrocarbons role in interstellar extinction
Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet. II.
Interstellar extinction in UV from zeta and epsilon Persei spectra obtained with scanner attached to telescope mounted in pointed Aerobee rocket
Impure graphite grains and the interstellar extinction curve
Grains impurities effect on interstellar extinction curve from graphite grain model, discussing dirty ice coatings
Structure in the interstellar-extinction curve
Fine structure of reddening interstellar extinction curves of stellar radiation, using photographic spectrophotometry
The variation of galactic interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet
It has been found that the wavelength dependence of interstellar extinction is not the same for all stars in the Galaxy. The present investigation is concerned with a further demonstration of the degree of variation of interstellar extinction in the UV, taking into account new extinction measurements toward 29 early-type stars. The stars do not represent a random sample. Approximately 15 of them were chosen because they have either an unusually large or an unusually small ratio of the strength of the diffuse interstellar band at 4430 A to the color excess E(B-V). Five stars have a ratio of these quantities near average and nine additional stars are illuminating reflection nebulae. Attention is given to the deviation from the average galactic extinction law, dense versus diffuse cloud environments, and the galactic longitude dependence.
Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet from emission stars
Since many of the analyses of interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet depend on observations of stars with emission lines, it is important to know whether the slope of the reddening line is on the average the same for normal stars and for emission stars. An investigation of normal and emission stars ranging in spectral class from O5 to O9 (as observed by the Celescope experiment on board OAO 2) indicates that normal and emission O stars do not have the same average color-excess ratio and that this characteristic is particularly prominent at 2300 A. This implies that interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet cannot be mapped unambiguously by using O stars unless all those in the sample are known not to be emission-line objects.