Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006sptz.prop30403j&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #30403
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The identity of the prominent 21 micron feature seen in protoplanetary nebulae (and possibly also in extreme AGB stars and PNe) is one of the most interesting unresolved mysteries in astrochemistry (cf. Kwok, Volk, & Hrivnak 2002, ApJ, 573, 720). Although a variety of carriers have been proposed to explain this enigmatic dust feature, it still remains unidentified since its discovery in 1989, partly due to the scarcity of such sources. To enlarge the ``21 micron'' source sample, we propose to search for new 21 micron sources, mainly based on the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) Point Source Catalog. Since the MSX Band E centers at 21 micron, the excess in this band might indicate the existence of the 21 micron emission. In combination with the IRAS mimic colors of late-type stars and the 21 micron sources, we selected 18 candidate objects for the 21 micron emission. We propose to use the Spitzer IRS spectrograph to take high resolution spectra of these objects to search for new 21 micron sources. This will greatly help characterize the physical and chemical conditions for the existence of this mysterious feature.
Jiang Biwei
Li Aigen
Zhang Ke
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