Acetylene bands observed in carbon stars: a laboratory study and an illustrative example of its application to IRC+10216

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/190808· OSTI ID:6052214

Rinsland, C P; Baldacci, A; Rao, K N

Acetylene (C/sub 2/H/sub 2/) has been identified as a constituent of the atmospheres of cool carbon stars based on Fourier transform stellar spectra in the near-infrared. To interpret these astrophysical data on a quantitative basis, a systematic laboratory study of the absorption spectrum of acetylene occurring in this spectral region has been made at a resolution of approx.0.03 cm/sup -1/, both at room temperature and at an elevated temperature of 160 /sup 0/C. Interpretation of the acetylene lines in the 3 ..mu..m region has led to the identification of 27 vibration-rotation bands which have been assigned to transitions between 41 different vibrational states of /sup 12/C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ and /sup 12/C/sup 13/CH/sub 2/, and absolute strengths were measured for 101 selected unblended spectral lines distributed among some of the stronger bands including the 0010/sup 0/0/sup 0/-0000/sup 0/0/sup 0/ band of /sup 12/C/sup 13/CH/sub 2/. In addition, the integrated strengths of the Q-branches of the 1000/sup 0/1/sup 1/-0000/sup 0/0/sup 0/ band at 4091 cm/sup -1/ and the 0100/sup 0/1/sup 1/-0000/sup 0/0/sup 0/ band at 2701 cm/sup -1/ of /sup 12/C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ were measured, and by comparing with the stellar data for IRC+10216, an estimate has been made for the acetylene column density in the circumstellar shell of this carbon star.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, College of William and Mary
• OSTI ID: 6052214
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States) Vol. 49:4; ISSN APJSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ACETYLENE
ALKYNES
ATMOSPHERES
CARBON STARS
DATA
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ROTATIONAL STATES
SPECTRA
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
VIBRATIONAL STATES