THE FORMATION OF COSMIC FULLERENES FROM AROPHATIC CLUSTERS
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada)
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Universite Paris Sud, F-91405 Orsay (France)
Fullerenes have recently been identified in space and they may play a significant role in the gas and dust budget of various astrophysical objects including planetary nebulae (PNe), reflection nebulae, and H II regions. The tenuous nature of the gas in these environments precludes the formation of fullerene materials following known vaporization or combustion synthesis routes even on astronomical timescales. We have studied the processing of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H or HAC) nanoparticles and their specific derivative structures, which we name ''arophatics'', in the circumstellar environments of young, carbon-rich PNe. We find that UV-irradiation of such particles can result in the formation of fullerenes, consistent with the known physical conditions in PNe and with available timescales.
- OSTI ID:
- 22143624
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 761, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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