IR Spectroscopy of PAHs in Dense Clouds

Details IR Spectroscopy of PAHs in Dense Clouds IR Spectroscopy of PAHs in Dense Clouds

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007sptz.prop40364a&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #40364

Computer Science

Scientific paper

Interstellar PAHs are likely to be a component of the ice mantles that form on dust grains in dense molecular clouds. PAHs frozen in grain mantles will produce IR absorption bands, not IR emission features. A couple of very weak absorption features in ground based spectra of a few objects embedded in dense clouds may be due to PAHs. Additionally spaceborne observations in the 5 to 8 ?m region, the region in which PAH spectroscopy is rich, reveal unidentified new bands and significant variation from object to object. It has not been possible to properly evaluate the contribution of PAH bands to these IR observations because the laboratory absorption spectra of PAHs condensed in realistic interstellar mixed-molecular ice analogs is lacking. This experimental data is necessary to interpret observations because, in ice mantles, the interaction of PAHs with the surrounding molecules effects PAH IR band positions, widths, profiles, and intrinsic strengths. Furthermore, PAHs are readily ionized in pure H2O ice, further altering the PAH spectrum. This laboratory proposal aims to remedy the situation by studying the IR spectroscopy of PAHs frozen in laboratory ice analogs that realistically reflect the composition of the interstellar ices observed in dense clouds. The purpose is to provide laboratory spectra which can be used to interpret IR observations. We will measure the spectra of these mixed molecular ices containing PAHs before and after ionization and determine the intrinsic band strengths of neutral and ionized PAHs in these ice analogs. This will enable a quantitative assessment of the role that PAHs can play in determining the 5-8 ?m spectrum of dense clouds and will directly address the following two fundamental questions associated with dense cloud spectroscopy and chemistry: 1- Can PAHs be detected in dense clouds? 2- Are PAH ions components of interstellar ice?

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