Related papers: A framework for resolving the origin, nature and e…
Interstellar dust models are facing a "carbon crisis", so called because recent observations suggest that the abundance of carbon available for dust in the interstellar medium is less than half of the amount required to be tied up in…
We discuss the absorption due to various constituents of the interstellar medium of M82 seen in moderately high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio optical spectra of SN 2014J. Complex absorption from M82 is seen, at velocities 45 $\le$…
We use star, galaxy and quasar spectra taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to map out the distribution of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) induced by the Milky Way. We show that, after carefully removing the intrinsic spectral energy…
In the interstellar medium of the Milky Way, certain elements -- e.g., Mg, Si, Al, Ca, Ti, Fe -- reside predominantly in interstellar dust grains. These grains absorb, scatter, and emit electromagnetic radiation, heat the interstellar…
Potential vibrational modes associated with diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) could be discerned by examining energy differences between correlated DIBs. Consequently, $\approx 10^3$ higher correlated DIB pairs ($r-\sigma_r \ge 0.8$, $\ge…
We obtained the near-infrared (NIR) high-resolution ($R\equiv\lambda/\Delta\lambda\sim20,000$) spectra of the seven brightest early-type stars in the Cygnus OB2 association for investigating the environmental dependence of diffuse…
Context. The compositional properties of hydrogenated amorphous carbons are known to evolve in response to the local conditions. Aims. To present a model for low-temperature, amorphous hydrocarbon solids, based on the microphysical…
We present the analysis of the Unidentified Infrared Bands (UIB) in the starburst galaxy NGC 1097. We have combined spectral maps observed with the AKARI/IRC and Spitzer/IRS instruments, in order to study all of the most prominent UIBs,…
We establish correlations between equivalent widths of eight diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), and examine their correlations with atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, and EB-V . The DIBs are centered at \lambda\lambda 5780.5, 6204.5,…
Diffuse interstellar bands comprise hundreds of absorption features in the ISM. Most DIBs are observed in the optical, but some are in the IR. We observed 76 early-type stars at R=50,000 and S/N ratios of several hundreds using CRIRES. We…
We present a quantitative model for the infrared emission from dust in the diffuse interstellar medium. The model consists of a mixture of amorphous silicate grains and carbonaceous grains, each with a wide size distribution ranging from…
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered as a major constituent of interstellar dust. They have been proposed as the carriers of the Aromatic Infrared Bands (AIBs) observed in emission in the mid-IR. They likely have a…
Cosmic dust grains are one of the fundamental ingredients of the interstellar medium (ISM). In spite of their small contribution to the total mass budget, dust grains play a significant role in the physical and chemical evolution of…
The wavelength dependences of interstellar extinction and polarization, supplemented by observed elemental abundances and the spectrum of infrared emission from dust heated by starlight, strongly constrain dust models. One dust model that…
This article gives an overview of the constitution, physical conditions and observables of dust in the interstellar medium of nearby galaxies. We first review the macroscopic, spatial distribution of dust in these objects, and its…
Interstellar dust in nebulae and in the diffuse interstellar medium of galaxies contains a component which responds to illumination by ultraviolet photons with efficient luminescence in the 500 nm to 1000 nm spectral range, known as…
Observational evidence seems to indicate that the depletion of interstellar carbon into dust shows rather wide variations and that carbon undergoes rather rapid recycling in the interstellar medium (ISM). Small hydrocarbon grains are…
We map the distribution and properties of the Milky Way's interstellar medium as traced by diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) detected in near-infrared stellar spectra from the SDSS-III/APOGEE survey. Focusing exclusively on the strongest…
The dipole-bound excited state of the methylene nitrile anion (CH2CN-) has been suggested as a candidate carrier for a diffuse interstellar band (DIB) at 803.8 nm. Its corresponding radical has been detected in the interstellar medium…
An absorption feature is occasionally reported around 11 microns in astronomical spectra, including those of forming stars. Candidate carriers include water ice, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), silicon carbide, crystalline…