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Organic compounds as carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2008

Peter J. Sarre*
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom email: Peter.Sarre@Nottingham.ac.uk
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Abstract

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The diffuse interstellar bands appear as absorption features in spectra of reddened stars and lie mostly in the visible region of the spectrum. The first examples were recorded photographically nearly one hundred years ago and despite a huge amount of observational, theoretical and laboratory effort the spectra remain unassigned. Most researchers believe that organic material is responsible for the absorptions, the most popular form being polycyclic aromatic (hydro)carbon (PAH) structures. This article reviews briefly the main characteristics of the spectrum, describes some current research and outlines some lines of inquiry.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

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