Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes
The unidentified infrared emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μ m are ubiquitously seen in a wide variety of astrophysical regions and commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. However, the unambiguous identification of any individual, specific PAH m...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1508 |
| _version_ | 1797352327528579072 |
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| author | Kaijun Li Aigen Li X. J. Yang Taotao Fang |
| author_facet | Kaijun Li Aigen Li X. J. Yang Taotao Fang |
| author_sort | Kaijun Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The unidentified infrared emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μ m are ubiquitously seen in a wide variety of astrophysical regions and commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. However, the unambiguous identification of any individual, specific PAH molecules has proven elusive until very recently, when two isomers of cyanonapthalene, which consists of two fused benzene rings and substitutes a nitrile (–CN) group for a hydrogen atom, were discovered in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, based on their rotational transitions at radio frequencies. To facilitate the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for cyanonapthalenes in astrophysical regions, we model the vibrational excitation of cyanonapthalenes and calculate their infrared emission spectra in a number of representative astrophysical regions. The model emission spectra and intensities will allow JWST to quantitatively determine or place an upper limit on the abundances of cyanonapthalenes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:14:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eb47e82b67624d2fb66ad4e7f0c1e4ea |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:14:50Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-eb47e82b67624d2fb66ad4e7f0c1e4ea2024-01-18T10:15:08ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01961110710.3847/1538-4357/ad1508Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: CyanonaphthalenesKaijun Li0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3107-9044Aigen Li1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1119-642XX. J. Yang2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6605-6512Taotao Fang3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2853-3808Department of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People's Republic of China ; fangt@xmu.edu.cnDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri , Columbia, MO 65211, USA ; lia@missouri.eduDepartment of Physics, Xiangtan University , 411105 Xiangtan, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China ; xjyang@xtu.edu.cnDepartment of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People's Republic of China ; fangt@xmu.edu.cnThe unidentified infrared emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 μ m are ubiquitously seen in a wide variety of astrophysical regions and commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. However, the unambiguous identification of any individual, specific PAH molecules has proven elusive until very recently, when two isomers of cyanonapthalene, which consists of two fused benzene rings and substitutes a nitrile (–CN) group for a hydrogen atom, were discovered in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, based on their rotational transitions at radio frequencies. To facilitate the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for cyanonapthalenes in astrophysical regions, we model the vibrational excitation of cyanonapthalenes and calculate their infrared emission spectra in a number of representative astrophysical regions. The model emission spectra and intensities will allow JWST to quantitatively determine or place an upper limit on the abundances of cyanonapthalenes.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1508Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsInfrared spectroscopyInterstellar emissionsInterstellar molecules |
| spellingShingle | Kaijun Li Aigen Li X. J. Yang Taotao Fang Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes The Astrophysical Journal Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Infrared spectroscopy Interstellar emissions Interstellar molecules |
| title | Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes |
| title_full | Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes |
| title_fullStr | Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes |
| title_short | Infrared Emission of Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules: Cyanonaphthalenes |
| title_sort | infrared emission of specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules cyanonaphthalenes |
| topic | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Infrared spectroscopy Interstellar emissions Interstellar molecules |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1508 |
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