Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands
Efforts over 40 yr still leave the source of astronomical infrared emission bands largely unidentified. Here, we report the first laboratory infrared (6–25 μ m) spectra of gas-phase fullerene-metal complexes, [C _60 -Metal] ^+ (Metal = Fe, V) and show with density functional theory calculations that...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accf1b |
| _version_ | 1797698343635255296 |
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| author | Gao-Lei Hou Olga V. Lushchikova Joost M. Bakker Peter Lievens Leen Decin Ewald Janssens |
| author_facet | Gao-Lei Hou Olga V. Lushchikova Joost M. Bakker Peter Lievens Leen Decin Ewald Janssens |
| author_sort | Gao-Lei Hou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Efforts over 40 yr still leave the source of astronomical infrared emission bands largely unidentified. Here, we report the first laboratory infrared (6–25 μ m) spectra of gas-phase fullerene-metal complexes, [C _60 -Metal] ^+ (Metal = Fe, V) and show with density functional theory calculations that complexes of C _60 with cosmically abundant metals, including Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, V, and Fe, all have similar spectral patterns. Comparison with observational infrared spectra from several fullerene-rich planetary nebulae demonstrates a strong positive linear cross-correlation. The infrared features of [C _60 -Metal] ^+ coincide with four bands attributed earlier to neutral C _60 bands and in addition also with several bands unexplained to date. Abundance and collision theory estimates indicate that [C _60 -Metal] ^+ could plausibly form and survive in astrophysical environments. Hence, [C _60 -Metal] ^+ are proposed as promising carriers, in supplement to C _60 , of observational bands, potentially representing the largest molecular species in space other than C _60 , C _60 ^+ , and C _70 . |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:53:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1df54f123e64d69835d56e6cbbf71be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:53:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1df54f123e64d69835d56e6cbbf71be2023-09-03T12:14:48ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-0195211310.3847/1538-4357/accf1bBuckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission BandsGao-Lei Hou0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1196-2777Olga V. Lushchikova1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5699-6818Joost M. Bakker2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1394-7661Peter Lievens3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6570-0559Leen Decin4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5342-8612Ewald Janssens5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5945-1194Quantum Solid-State Physics, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; MOE Key Laboratory for Non-Equilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University , Xi’an, 710049 Shaanxi, People's Republic of China ; gaolei.hou@xjtu.edu.cnRadboud University , Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The NetherlandsRadboud University , Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The NetherlandsQuantum Solid-State Physics, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven, BelgiumInstitute of Astronomy, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium ; leen.decin@kuleuven.be; School of Chemistry, University of Leeds , Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKQuantum Solid-State Physics, KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven, BelgiumEfforts over 40 yr still leave the source of astronomical infrared emission bands largely unidentified. Here, we report the first laboratory infrared (6–25 μ m) spectra of gas-phase fullerene-metal complexes, [C _60 -Metal] ^+ (Metal = Fe, V) and show with density functional theory calculations that complexes of C _60 with cosmically abundant metals, including Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, V, and Fe, all have similar spectral patterns. Comparison with observational infrared spectra from several fullerene-rich planetary nebulae demonstrates a strong positive linear cross-correlation. The infrared features of [C _60 -Metal] ^+ coincide with four bands attributed earlier to neutral C _60 bands and in addition also with several bands unexplained to date. Abundance and collision theory estimates indicate that [C _60 -Metal] ^+ could plausibly form and survive in astrophysical environments. Hence, [C _60 -Metal] ^+ are proposed as promising carriers, in supplement to C _60 , of observational bands, potentially representing the largest molecular species in space other than C _60 , C _60 ^+ , and C _70 .https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accf1bLaboratory astrophysicsExperimental techniquesMolecular physics |
| spellingShingle | Gao-Lei Hou Olga V. Lushchikova Joost M. Bakker Peter Lievens Leen Decin Ewald Janssens Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands The Astrophysical Journal Laboratory astrophysics Experimental techniques Molecular physics |
| title | Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands |
| title_full | Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands |
| title_fullStr | Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands |
| title_short | Buckyball-metal Complexes as Potential Carriers of Astronomical Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands |
| title_sort | buckyball metal complexes as potential carriers of astronomical unidentified infrared emission bands |
| topic | Laboratory astrophysics Experimental techniques Molecular physics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accf1b |
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