Bibcode
García-Hernández, D. A.; Iglesias-Groth, S.; Acosta-Pulido, J. A.; Manchado, A.; García-Lario, P.; Stanghellini, L.; Villaver, E.; Shaw, R. A.; Cataldo, F.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 737, Issue 2, article id. L30 (2011).
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8
2011
Citations
111
Refereed citations
90
Description
We present 10 new Spitzer detections of fullerenes in Magellanic Cloud
Planetary Nebulae, including the first extragalactic detections of the
C70 molecule. These new fullerene detections together with
the most recent laboratory data permit us to report an accurate
determination of the C60 and C70 abundances in
space. Also, we report evidence for the possible detection of planar
C24 in some of our fullerene sources, as indicated by the
detection of very unusual emission features coincident with the
strongest transitions of this molecule at ~6.6, 9.8, and 20 μm. The
infrared spectra display a complex mix of aliphatic and aromatic species
such as hydrogenated amorphous carbon grains (HACs), polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon clusters, fullerenes, and small dehydrogenated carbon
clusters (possible planar C24). The coexistence of such a
variety of molecular species supports the idea that fullerenes are
formed from the decomposition of HACs. We propose that fullerenes are
formed from the destruction of HACs, possibly as a consequence of shocks
driven by the fast stellar winds, which can sometimes be very strong in
transition sources and young planetary nebulae (PNe). This is supported
by the fact that many of our fullerene-detected PNe show altered [Ne
III]/[Ne II] ratios suggestive of shocks as well as P-Cygni profiles in
their UV lines indicative of recently enhanced mass loss.
Related projects
Nucleosynthesis and molecular processes in the late stages of Stellar Evolution
Low- to intermediate-mass (M < 8 solar masses, Ms) stars represent the majority of stars in the Cosmos. They finish their lives on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) - just before they form planetary nebulae (PNe) - where they experience complex nucleosynthetic and molecular processes. AGB stars are important contributors to the enrichment of the
Domingo Aníbal
García Hernández