Potential vibrational modes associated with diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) could be discerned by examining energy differences between correlated DIBs. Consequently, ≈103 higher correlated DIB pairs (r−σr≥0.8, ≥12 sightlines) were extracted from the Apache Point Observatory DIB catalog, and their energy spacings computed. In this first macro exploratory step, a histogram possibly reveals chemical bond signatures of C≡C, C≡N, S−H, C−O, C=O, Si−H, N−H, C−H (aliphatic), C...C (in-ring), and aromatics (C−H stretch, C...C in-ring, oop C−H bending, and overtones). Continued research is required to (in)validate the histogram approach, mitigate noise, scrutinize maxima, break degeneracies, and converge upon an optimal framework.
@article{arxiv.2504.15050,
title = {Potential Vibrational Modes Tied to Diffuse Interstellar Bands},
author = {Daniel Majaess and Halis Seuret and Tina A. Harriott and Cercis Morera-Boado and Ailish Sullivan and Lou Massa and Chérif F. Matta},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.15050},
year = {2025}
}