Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21547605s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #476.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.524
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The identity of the carrier molecules of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs) is the most durable mystery of spectroscopic astronomy. Though large Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are now suspected to be the source of the DIBs, no definitive matches have yet been made to laboratory PAH spectra. The Diffuse Interstellar Band Synchrotron Radiation Carrier Hunt (DIBSyRCH) experiment has been built at the Synchrotron Radiation Center (SRC) to test this hypothesis by conducting a spectroscopic survey of a broad range of cold, gas phase PAH molecules and ions. The key elements of this experiment are (1) the synchrotron radiation continuum from the SRC White Light beamline, (2) a custom echelle spectrograph and (3) the Cryogenic Circulating Advective Multi-Pass (CCAMP) absorption cell. Synchrotron radiation provides broad spectral coverage and high spectral radiance throughout the DIB region. Signal-to-noise ratios of up to 10,000 are achieved in one minute of integration in the 530-800 nm spectral window with resolution optimized for the DIBs (a second window covers 400-530 nm). The CCAMP absorption cell operates much like a wind tunnel. A small propeller drives a convective laminar flow of liquid nitrogen cooled neon buffer gas which circulates around the racetrack-like tube. The molecules of interest are entrained in this cold flow as they are evaporated from the crucible. They then enter the observation arm and interact with the synchrotron radiation. A multi-pass White cell extends the absorption pathlength to over 100 m. Preliminary results on light PAHs will be presented. This work is supported in part by NASA Headquarters under grant NNX08AQ09G. MHS is a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow - grant NNX09AP54H. This work is based in part upon research conducted at the Synchrotron Radiation Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is supported by the National Science Foundation under award no. DMR-0537588.
Lawler James E.
Stockett Mark
Wood Philip Matchett
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