Circumstellar PAHs and Carbon Stardust

Abstract

The SWS on ISO has revealed the incredible richness of IR emission features in the spectra of post-AGB objects and planetary nebulae. Besides the well known features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 µm a wealth of weaker features is present as well. These studies also reveal detailed variations from source to source, which may be of key importance in the molecular identification process. The emission from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon molecules and carbon dust are contrasted with an emphasis on the expected temperature and the feature-to-continuum ratio.

Graphite stardust, isolated from carbonaceous meteorites, consist of a core of microcrystalline aromatic moieties mantled by crystalline graphite. This structure suggests the importance of two distinct growth stages or processes. The cores resemble terrestrial soot and indicate formation at relatively low temperature where kinetic factors played an important role, presumably involving PAH formation through reactions of C2H2 and its radical progeny, followed by coagulation of these PAHs as well as further chemical growth. The mantle seems to reflect slow chemical growth at higher temperatures of relatively few PAHs accreted onto these cores.