A modified model for interstellar extinction

It is shown that available optical and ultraviolet data relating to the interstellar dust are elegantly explained on the basis of a modified microbal grain model. A model comprised of two biologically derived components, modified under interstellar conditions. Data on interstellar extinction, albedo and polarization may be accounted for by this model.     

A polycrystalline graphite model for the 2175 Å interstellar extinction band

A random, hydrogen-free, assembly of microscopic sp² carbon chips, forming a macroscopically homogeneous and isotropic solid, is proposed as a model carrier for the ultraviolet (UV) interstellar extinction band. The validity of this model is based on the calculation of the Bruggeman average dielectric function of a mixture of the known parallel and perpendicular dielectric functions of graphite. The π absorption feature of Rayleigh-sized spheres of this mixture falls near  4.6 μm⁻¹  (2175 Å), but its width is  1.5 μm⁻¹  , somewhat larger than the astronomically observed average,  1 μm⁻¹  . This is confirmed by measurements of the reflectance of an industrial material, polycrystalline graphite. A better fit to the interstellar feature position and width is obtained with a hypothetical material, having the same dielectric functions as natural graphite, except for less extended wings of the π resonance. Physically, this could result from changes in the electronic band structure due to previous thermal histories. In this model, the Frölich feature central wavelength depends only on the π resonance frequency, while its width depends only on the damping constant of the same resonance. This explains the range of observed feature widths at constant feature wavelength.     

Evolving interstellar extinction

High brightness temperatures ( T _b) implied by quasar intraday variability may be explained by coherent emission, or else by physically implausible bulk relativistic Lorentz factors Γ ≥ 100. Previous theory asserts that various absorption mechanisms will block escape of such coherent, high-brightness sources. Yet this same theory fails to account for laboratory experiments detecting collective emission. Probably this is because present theory is inadequate, and should not be used to rule out collective radiation processes.     

Three-component dust models for interstellar extinction

Interstellar extinction curves obtained from the ‘extinction without standard’ method were used to constrain the dust characteristics in the mean ISM (R _V = 3.1), along the lines of sight through a high latitude diffuse molecular cloud towards HD 210121 (R _V = 2.1) and in a dense interstellar environment towards the cluster NGC 1977 (R _V = 6.42). We have used three-component dust models comprising silicate, graphite and very small carbonaceous grains (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) following the grain size distributions introduced by Li & Draine in 2001. It is shown that oxygen, carbon and silicon abundances derived from our models are closer with the available elemental abundances for the dust grains in the ISM if F & G type stars atmospheric abundances are taken for the ISM than the solar. The importance of very small grains in modelling the variation of interstellar extinction curves has been investigated. Grain size distributions and elemental abundances locked up in dust are studied and compared at different interstellar environments using these three extinction curves. We present the albedo and the scattering asymmetry parameter evaluated from optical to extreme-UV wavelengths for the proposed dust models.     

A quenched carbonaceous composite (QCC) grain model for the interstellar 220 NM extinction hump

The dependence of the wavelength of peak absorption of dust grains on the grain size is investigated analytically by using an oscillator model for the absorption band. The peak wavelength of a weak absorption band is much less sensitive to the grain size than that of a strong band. This is explained by the fact that the surface mode, which is excited in the strong absorption band, is not raised in the weak absorption band. A quenched carbonaceous composite (QCC) synthesized from hydrocarbon plasma is found to have a weak absorption band at 220 nm. The absorption peak wavelength of the QCC grains falls well in the range of 217±7 nm even if the grain size runs from 5 to 100 nm. This is compatible with the observed constancy of the 220 nm hump (217±5 nm). By contrast, the absorption peak of graphite grains, which have a strong band around 280 nm and have been investigated as candidates for the hump, is very sensitive to the grain size. A quite narrow range of the grain size is required to account for the observed 220 nm feature. A weak absorption model, such as the QCC grains, is suggested to be a more likely candidate for the 220 nm extinction hump than a strong absorption model, such as graphite grains.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

A new model for interstellar dust

Some physical, chemical and optical properties of mixed oxide grain material are discussed and the formation of such dust is examined. Surface chemistry on these grains may be responsible for the selective depletion of elements and for the formation of molecules such as H₂CO in diffuse clouds. Spectra of mixed oxide grains yield features at 9.6 and 18 m together with a broad band at 4.6 m^–1.Invited contribution to the Proceedings of a Workshop onThermodynamics and Kinetics of Dust Formation in the Space Medium held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, 6–8 September, 1978.     

Cross-identification of large surveys for finding interstellar extinction

The publication of large photometric surveys and the tools for the cross-identification of their objects open up a possibility for obtaining multicolor photometry of hundreds of millions of objects. This, in turn, makes it possible not only to classify the objects and determine their parameters, but also to measure the interstellar extinction towards them and produce an extinction map for the Milky Way. The aim of this study is to develop a tool for the cross identification of objects in the most well-known surveys and test it in several sky areas. To this end, we implemented an algorithm of fast positional matching of large astronomical catalogs in small (up to one degree) sized areas with filtering of false identification. As a result, we drew in seven 0.1-degree radius areas samples of objects from the DENIS, 2MASS, SDSS, GALEX, and UKIDSS surveys, and performed the cross-identification of these surveys. We compiled the corresponding subcatalogs in the VO Table format. The tool developed as a result of this work can be used to cross-identify objects in arbitrary sky areas for the further classification and determination of stellar parameters, including the measurement of the amount of interstellar extinction.     

A fit to the interstellar extinction curve without graphite

It is shown that interstellar extinction between 1 and 10 μm^?1 can be obtained from a grain mixture containing Fe₃O₄, SiO, MgO, and glassy carbon. MgO produces the 220 nm extinction bump and eliminates the need for graphite as a component of interstellar dust.     

Features of the interstellar extinction curve

The extinction curves for spherical particles are subject to the errors of the particle material's refractive index. Their sensitivity to these errors has been investigated and is found to be dependent upon wavelength. For graphite, significant errors are produced in the far ultraviolet part of the extinction curve; for silicates, in the near ultraviolet; while for iron the error is relatively small. The wavelength dependence of the 10 μm and 20 μm absorption bands of small silicate spheroids upon their shape and alignment has been studied. It is found that the bands can be displaced by ～1 μm towards longer wavelengths from their positions for corresponding spheres: and that a further, though small, displacement can be superimposed upon this by their subsequent alignment.     

Intrinsic variations of interstellar extinction laws

The intrinsic ultraviolet colours of early type stars have been derived from the rocket data of J. W. Campbell and A. M. Smith. There exists a considerable spread in these colours. One possible source is the predicted rms variation due to the effect of rotation. It is necessary to recognise that rotation is an important source of uncertainty of the interstellar extinction curves derived from the comparison of pairs of stars.Predicted rms errors due to different sources (rotation, uncertainty of MK spectral type, photometric errors) have been compared with the dispersion of the observed extinction data and it is found that part of the large scatter could be due to intrinsic differences of the properties of interstellar grains.     

Volume extinction factors of interstellar grains

Volume extinction factorsV _c have been evaluated for spherical grains at several refractive indices (m=1.6,m=1.5,m=1.33,m=1,16,m=1.1). From these results it is found that grains with higher-refractive index are more efficient for visual extinction than grains with low-refractive index.     

Far-ultraviolet extinction and diffuse interstellar bands

We relate the equivalent widths of the major diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) near 5797 and 5780 Å with different colour excesses, normalized by E ( B − V ) , which characterize the growth of interstellar extinction in different wavelength ranges. It is demonstrated that the two DIBs correlate best with different parts of the extinction curve, and the ratio of these diffuse bands is best correlated with the far-ultraviolet (UV) rise. A number of peculiar lines of sight are also found, indicating that the carriers of some DIBs and the far-UV extinction can be separated in certain environments, e.g. towards the Per OB2 association.     

Determining the interstellar extinction and distances for Galactic novae

Using photometric data for Galactic novae, we compared the Sharov (1963) and Schlegel et al. (1998) interstellar extinction maps. We found the distances and extinctions for 64 novae.     

Limited diversity of the interstellar extinction law

We have applied the method of investigating extinction curves using statistically meaningful samples that was proposed by us 25 years ago. The extensive data sets of the ANS (Astronomical Netherlands Satellite) and 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) were used, together with UBV photometry to create average extinction curves for samples of OB stars. Our results demonstrate that in the vast majority of cases the extinction curves are very close to the mean galactic extinction curve. Only a few objects were found to be obviously discrepant from the average. The latter phenomenon may be related to nitrogen chemistry in translucent interstellar clouds (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Influence of the gould belt on interstellar extinction

A new analytical 3D model of interstellar extinction within 500 pc of the Sun as a function of the Galactic spherical coordinates is suggested. This model is physically more justified than the widely used Arenou model, since it takes into account the presence of absorbing matter both in the layer along the equatorial Galactic plane and in the Gould Belt. The extinction in the equatorial layer varies as the sine of the Galactic longitude and in the Gould Belt as the sine of twice the longitude in the Belt plane. The extinction across the layers varies according to a barometric law. It has been found that the absorbing layers intersect at an angle of 17° and that the Sun is located near the axial plane of the absorbing layer of the Gould Belt and is probably several parsecs below the axial plane of the equatorial absorbing layer but above the Galactic plane. The model has been tested using the extinction of real stars from three catalogs.     

The distribution of interstellar extinction near the sun

Photometric data inuvbyß system from 3713 stars is used to map the distribution of colour excesses up to 500 parsec from the Sun, producing diagrams for a series of layers aligned with the galactic plane. Individual clouds are detected, with a mean diameter of 6 parsecs, while cloud complexes have a mean diameter of 100 pc. From the maps it seems that the interstellar medium near the Sun presents regions of non-negligible extinction, while the Sun itself is enbedded in a diffuse cloud, or slightly off its border. The large scatter in the distribution ofE(b-) is confirmed, with a mean extinction ofA _v=0 _. ^m 38 up to 500 pc.     

Absorption bands and extinction in small interstellar particles

The production of discrete line and broad-band extinction by small interstellar oxide and silicate particles is discussed quantitatively. Restrictions on particle size and refractive index that are required to produce ‘pure’ absorption features are reviewed. The relationship between optical depth in interstellar extinction and absorption coefficients for bulk materials is used to reach some general conclusions concerning the diffuse interstellar features, VUV extinction and the composition of interstellar dust. It is noted that charge transfer bands of ions such as Fe³⁺ may be detectable in the VUV spectrum of dust. Several effects that lead to the enhancement of oscillator strength by 10³–10⁴ in small particles are discussed.     

Influence of rotational darkening on ultraviolet interstellar extinction

Der Einfluß der Rotationsverdunklung schnell rotierender Sterne wird einer Neudiskussion unterzogen. Dafür werden filterphotometrische Helligkeiten vom Satelliten ANS herangezogen. Von schwach verfärbten B Sternen (E(B - V) 0.1 mag) wurden die Helligkeiten vom Einfluß der interstellaren Extinktion befreit. Die Verleilung der Sterne im Rotationsgeschwindigkeits-Farbenindex-Diagramm weist eine Streuung auf, die den Betrag der photometrischen Fehler übersteigt. Die Lage der Sterne im Rotationsgeschwindigkeits-Farbenindex-Diagramm befindet sich in qualitativer Übereinstimmung mit entsprechenden theoretischen Resultaten. Bei der Diskussion von individuell abweichenden Verläufen der interstellaren Extinktion vom durchschnittlichen Extinktionsgesetz sollte der Einfluß der Rotationsverdunklung als eine mögliche Quelle für die Abweichungen in Betracht gezogen und geprüft werden.     

On the interstellar extinction law toward young stars

We have determined the atomic hydrogen column density N _HI toward all of the young stars from the Taurus-Auriga-Perseus star-forming complex for which the corresponding spectra are available in the Hubble Space Telescope archive (nine stars) by analyzing the Lyα line profile. We show that the stars studied, except DR Tau, lie not far from the edge of the gaseous cloud of the star-forming region closest to us or, more precisely, inside the outer H I shell of the cloud. This shell with a column density of N _HI ? 6 × 10²⁰ cm^?2 surrounds the molecular gas of the cloud composed of a diffuse component (the so-called diffuse screen) in which dense, compact TMC-1 cores are embedded. The properties of the dust grains toward the stars that lie at the front edge of the cloud most likely differ only slightly from those of the interstellar dust outside star-forming regions. This casts doubt on the validity of the hypothesis that the extinction curve toward young stars has an anomalously low amplitude of the 2175 Å bump—such an extinction curve is observed for the field stars HD 29647 and HD 283809 toward which the line of sight passes through the TMC-1 core.     

Far-infrared contribution to interstellar extinction from graphite whiskers

A mass contribution of graphite whiskers as small as 0.1% to the population of interstellar grains could dramatically change their far-infrared extinction properties. With varying mass fractions of graphite whiskers, and for different size parameters, the infrared extinction could vary from a ^-2 dependence to ⁰, consistent with the requirements of some astronomical observations.