PRESSURE EFFECTS IN POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC NITROGENATED HETEROCYCLES (PANHs): DIAGNOSTIC QUALITIES AND COSMOBAROMETRY POTENTIAL

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/819/1/64· OSTI ID:22521468

Montgomery, Wren

The influence of polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANHs), which have been suggested as contributors to the interstellar IR emission bands, on interstellar emission features is difficult to constrain because their infrared characteristics are strongly similar to those for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). One possible solution is to seek a means of visualizing the presence of PANHs that provides information that is distinct from that for PAHs. Although PANHs and PAHs have similar infrared characteristics in many settings, this relationship may not be universally maintained. We have used in situ high-pressure synchrotron-source Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to determine that the responses of two representative molecules, acridine and anthracene, differ at high pressures (>ca. 1 GPa). Because there are a number of high-pressure environments that can be remotely observed by infrared spectroscopy, they represent a potential to glimpse the distribution of PANHs across the cosmos.

• OSTI ID: 22521468
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 819, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ANTHRACENE
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENVIRONMENT
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
MOLECULES
NITROGEN
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION SOURCES
UNIVERSE