Rotational contours of CH2X chain species compared with several diffuse interstellar bands

We have calculated synthetic spectra of perpendicular and parallel rovibronic bands of cumulene carbene molecules of the form C _n H₂. The perpendicular bands are consistent with a regularly spaced group of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) near 6850 Å. Parallel bands calculated for these molecular structures are consistent with the intrinsic profile of the associated 6614-Å DIB. Both types of bands are expected for an electronic transition that these species should have at those energies. We could not determine if the molecule was charged or if an atom other than carbon terminated the chain-end. Constraints due to molecular geometry and temperature place the chain length at 7–15 carbons to fit the 6850-Å group and 9–13 carbons to fit the 6614-Å DIB.     

Blueshifted diffuse interstellar bands in the spectrum of HD 34078

In this paper, we report the very first observation of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) that, in the spectrum of HD 34078 (AE Aur), are blueshifted with respect to the normal position that they have in other objects, where the rest-wavelength velocity frame is determined using very sharp interstellar atomic lines or molecular features. Only reasonably narrow DIBs seemingly show this effect, which is absent in broader ones. The result is confirmed independently using three different spectrographs attached to two different telescopes.     

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.     

Very high resolution profiles of four diffuse interstellar bands

Ultra-high-resolution  ( R ∼ 300 000)  profiles of four diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are presented. The λλ 5797-, 5850-, 6196- and 6379- Å DIBs were observed towards the reddened supergiant HD 24398, a line of sight free of Doppler splitting; thus the observed profiles can be considered as intrinsic to the DIB carriers. Three of the profiles show substructure which supports the hypothesis of a molecular origin for these DIBs.     

Additional ultra-high-resolution observations of Ca+ ions in the local interstellar medium

We present ultra-high-resolution (0.35 km s⁻¹ FWHM) observations of the interstellar Ca K line towards seven nearby stars. The spectral resolution was sufficient to resolve the line profiles fully, thereby enabling us to detect hitherto unresolved velocity components, and to obtain accurate measurements of the velocity dispersions ( b values). Absorption components with velocities similar to those expected for the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC) and the closely associated 'G cloud' were identified towards six of the seven stars. However, in most cases the b values deduced for these components were significantly larger than the b  ≈ 2.2 km s⁻¹ (i.e. T _k ≈ 7000 K, v _t ≈ 1 km s⁻¹) expected for the LIC, and it is argued that this results from the presence of additional, spectrally unresolved, components having similar velocities and physical conditions. For two stars (δ Vel and α Pav) we detect interstellar components with much smaller b values (1.1 ± 0.3 and 0.8 ± 0.1 km s⁻¹, respectively) than are expected for low-density clouds within the Local Bubble. In the case of the narrow α Pav component, we also find an anomalously large Na  i /Ca  ii column density ratio, which is indicative of a relatively high density. Thus it is possible that, in addition to LIC-type clouds, the local interstellar medium contains a population of previously undetected cooler and denser interstellar clouds.     

Profiles of blue and infrared diffuse interstellar bands

The paper presents a survey of profiles of reasonably strong diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) based on the extensive set of high-resolution spectra acquired with the aid of echelle spectrographs installed at the 2-m Terskol, 2-m Pic du Midi and 1-m SAO telescopes. The surveyed diffuse interstellar bands cover the spectral ranges of blue and near-infrared, i.e the DIBs not surveyed by Krełowski & Schmidt . The possible modifications caused by stellar and telluric lines are discussed. The very broad features such as 4430 are not discussed because the shapes of their profiles, extracted from echelle spectra, are very uncertain. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios of the spectra are not high enough to enable discussion of the profiles of numerous weak interstellar features discovered recently.     

Class II maser candidates in substituted methanol: CH3OD, 13CH3OH, CH318OH and CH3SH

We investigate the possibility of interstellar masers in transitions of the methanol isotopomers CH₃OD, ¹³CH₃OH and CH₃¹⁸OH, and of CH₃SH. The model used, in which masers are pumped through the first and second torsionally excited states by IR radiation, has accounted successfully for the Class II masers in main species methanol, ¹²CH₃¹⁶OH. Several potential maser candidates are identified for CH₃OD, their detectability depending on the enrichment of this species in star-forming regions. In ¹³CH₃OH and CH₃¹⁸OH the best maser candidates are direct counterparts of the well-known 6.7- and 12.2-GHz methanol masers, but the lower interstellar abundance of these substituted species means that the expected brightness is greatly reduced. The maser candidates in CH₃SH are also weak. By comparing these species we find that the large b -component of the dipole moment in methanol plays a significant role in its propensity to form masers, as does the strong torsion–rotation interaction due to the light hydroxyl frame. Thus the exceptional brightness of interstellar methanol masers is due to a favourable combination of molecular properties as well as high interstellar abundance.     

Calculations on the rates, mechanisms, and interstellar importance of the reactions between C and NH2 and between N and CH2

The attempt to understand the temperature dependence of the HNC/HCN abundance ratio in interstellar clouds has been long standing and indecisive. In this paper we report quantum chemical and dynamical studies of two neutral–neutral reactions thought to be important in the formation of HNC and HCN, respectively – C+NH₂→HNC+H, and N+CH₂→HCN+H. We find that although these reactions do lead initially to the products suggested by astronomers, there is so much excess energy available in both reactions that the HCN and HNC products are able to undergo efficient isomerization reactions after production. The isomerization leads to near equal production rates of the two isomers, with HNC slightly favoured if there is sufficient rotational excitation. This result has been incorporated into our latest chemical model network of dense interstellar clouds.     

State-to-state rotational transition rates of the HCO+ ion by collisions with helium

The rates of rotational transitions for HCO⁺, the most abundant ion in interstellar space, induced by collision with helium are obtained for temperatures ranging from 10 to 80 K. The calculations are based on a new potential energy surface for the He–HCO⁺ interaction and on a scattering matrix whose accuracy was checked by pressure broadening and shift measurements. The rates     decrease for increasing values of j and  Δ j   , with a temperature trend depending on the energy involved in the transitions: if it is small, the rates are almost constant, while an increase with T is found for other cases. Comparison with previous and less accurate results shows an agreement within 50 per cent. Comparison between state-to-state and pressure broadening cross-sections allows us to discuss importance and influence of elastic and inelastic collisions.     

Correlation patterns between 11 diffuse interstellar bands and ultraviolet extinction

We relate the equivalent widths of 11 diffuse interstellar bands, measured in the spectra of 49 stars, to different colour excesses in the ultraviolet. We find that most of the observed bands correlate positively with the extinction in the neighbourhood of the 2175-Å  bump. Correlation with colour excesses in other parts of the extinction curve is more variable from one diffuse interstellar band to another; we find that some diffuse bands (5797, 5850 and 6376 Å) correlate positively with the overall slope of the extinction curve, while others (5780 and 6284 Å) exhibit negative correlation. We discuss the implications of these results on the links between the diffuse interstellar band carriers and the properties of the interstellar grains.     

Origin of diffuse interstellar bands: spectroscopic studies of their possible carriers

The results of astrophysical observations that provide evidence for the molecular origin of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are reviewed. It is established that molecular systems with a linear, planar or spherical carbon skeleton are good candidates as DIB carriers, and laboratory spectroscopic data concerning such systems are discussed. The characteristic features of the electronic spectra of fullerenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and of linear carbon chains and their ions are found to be consistent with the principal spectroscopic features of DIBs. Analysis of the astrophysical electronic spectra of several simple molecules that have so far been assigned indicates that polar molecules should be easier to detect in this way than those without a permanent electric dipole moment.     

On the detection of the linear C5 molecule in the interstellar medium

An upper limit of the column density of the C₅ linear molecule in translucent interstellar clouds is estimated from high-resolution ( R =80 000) and very high signal-to-noise ratio (∼1000) echelle spectra. It is 10¹² cm⁻² per E ( B − V )=1 (two orders of magnitude lower than that of C₂).     

Diffuse interstellar bands in low E (B – V) objects

We analyse spectra of slightly reddened, early-type stars in which the major diffuse interstellar bands at 5870 and 5797 Å are either strong or weak in relation to E(B – V) . It is demonstrated that among the low E(B – V) objects one can find stars obscured by 'sigma' as well as 'zeta' type clouds. The profiles of the diffuse bands seem not to be dependent on the total opacities of the interstellar clouds. We also discuss the physical conditions leading to the formation of the diffuse band carriers in low-opacity interstellar clouds; the carriers are apparently formed in media in which one can observe complex velocity fields.     

The interstellar magnetic field near the Galactic center

We review the current observational knowledge of the interstellar magnetic field within ∼150 pc ofthe Galactic center. We also discuss the various theoretical scenarios that have been put forward to explain the existing observations. Our critical overview leads to two important conclusions: (1) The interstellar magnetic field near the GC is approximately poloidal on average in the diffuse intercloud medium and approximately horizontal in dense interstellar clouds. (2) In the general intercloud medium, the field is relatively weak and probably close to equipartition with cosmic rays (B ∼ (6–20) μ G), but there exist a number of localized filaments where the field is much stronger (some filaments could possibly have B ≳ 1 mG). In dense interstellar clouds, the field is probably rather strong, with typical values ranging between a few 0.1 mG and a few mG (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIB): co-planar doubly excited He and metal atoms embedded in Rydberg Matter

The interpretation of the more than 300 diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) is one of the most long-standing problems in interstellar spectra since the two first bands were reported in 1921. We now predict the frequencies of 260 diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) using the Rydberg Matter model we have developed previously. These transitions involve mainly He atoms, but other two-electron atoms like Ca and other metals can take part in the absorption processes. Approximately 70% of the total intensity of the DIBs is due to absorption in doubly excited states and 30% in singly excited He atoms. The doubly excited states are in inverted states while the He atoms are thermal. The possibilities to observe DIBs in the UV and NIR ranges are discussed and band positions are predicted.     

New models of interstellar gas–grain chemistry – III. Solid CO2

Solid CO₂ is observed to be an abundant interstellar ice component towards both quiescent clouds and active star-forming regions. Our recent models of gas–grain chemistry, appropriate for quiescent regions, severely underproduce solid CO₂ at the single assumed gas density and temperature. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of our model results to changes in these parameters. In addition, we examine how the nature of the grain surface affects the results and also consider the role of the key surface reaction between O and CO. We conclude that the observed high abundance of solid CO₂ can be reproduced at reasonable temperatures and densities by models with diffusive surface chemistry, provided that the diffusion of heavy species such as O occurs efficiently.     

Imaging and integral-field spectroscopy of shocked H2 around G25.65+1.05

The results of B -band CCD imaging linear polarimetry obtained for stars from the Hipparcos catalogue are used to re-examine the distribution of the local interstellar medium towards the IRAS 100-μm emission void in the Lupus dark clouds. The analysis of the obtained parallax–polarization diagram assigns to the dark cloud Lupus 1 a distance between 130 and 150 pc and assures the existence of a low column density region coincident with the observed infrared void. Moreover, there are clear indications of the existence of absorbing material at distances closer than 60–100 pc, which may be associated with the interface boundary between the Local Bubble and its neighbourhood Loop I superbubble.     

The Magnificent Seven in the dusty prairie

The Magnificent Seven have all been discovered by their exceptional soft X-ray spectra and high ratios of X-ray to optical flux. They all are considered to be nearby sources. Searching for similar objects with larger distances, one expects larger interstellar absorption resulting in harder X-ray counterparts. Current interstellar absorption treatment depends on chosen abundances and scattering cross-sections of the elements as well as on the 3D distribution of the interstellar medium. After a discussion of these factors we use the comprehensive 3D measurements of the Local Bubble by Lallement et al. (2003, Astron. Astrophys. 411, 447) to construct two simple models of the 3D distribution of the hydrogen column density. We test these models by using a set of soft X-ray sources with known distances. Finally, we discuss possible applications for distance estimations and population synthesis studies.      

C-type shocks in the interstellar medium: profiles of CH+ and CH absorption lines

We have computed optical absorption-line profiles of CH⁺ and CH, as predicted by a model of a C-type shock propagating in a diffuse interstellar cloud. Both these species are produced in the shock wave in the reaction sequence that is initiated by C⁺(H₂, H)CH⁺. Whilst CH⁺ flows at the ion speed, CH, which forms in the dissociative recombination reaction CH⁺₃(e⁻, H₂)CH, flows at a speed which is intermediate between those of the ions and the neutrals. The predicted velocity shift between the CH⁺ and CH line profiles is found to be no more than approximately 2 km s⁻¹, which is smaller than has previously been assumed. We also investigate OH and HCO⁺, finding that the correlation between their column densities, recently observed in the diffuse interstellar medium, can be reproduced by the model.     

Charge transfer reactions at interfaces between neutral gas and plasma: Dynamical effects and X‐ray emission

Charge‐transfer is the main process linking neutrals and charged particles in the interaction regions of neutral (or partly ionized) gas with a plasma. In this paper we illustrate the importance of charge‐transfer with respect to the dynamics and the structure of neutral gas‐plasma interfaces. We consider the following phenomena: (1) the heliospheric interface ‐ region where the solar wind plasma interacts with the partly‐ionized local interstellar medium (LISM) and (2) neutral interstellar clouds embedded in a hot, tenuous plasma such as the million degree gas that fills the so‐called “Local Bubble”. In (1), we discuss several effects in the outer heliosphere caused by charge exchange of interstellar neutral atoms and plasma protons. In (2) we describe the role of charge exchange in the formation of a transition region between the cloud and the surrounding plasma based on a two‐component model of the cloud‐plasma interaction. In the model the cloud consists of relatively cold and dense atomic hydrogen gas, surrounded by hot, low density, fully ionized plasma. We discuss the structure of the cloud‐plasma interface and the effect of charge exchange on the lifetime of interstellar clouds. Charge transfer between neutral atoms and minor ions in the plasma produces X‐ray emission. Assuming standard abundances of minor ions in the hot gas surrounding the cold interstellar cloud, we estimate the X‐ray emissivity consecutive to the charge transfer reactions. Our model shows that the charge‐transfer X‐ray emission from the neutral cloud‐plasma interface may be comparable to the diffuse thermal X‐ray emission from the million degree gas cavity itself (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)