Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

1989

Physics

ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

On The Size Distribution Of Newly Formed Grains In Red Supergiant Atmospheres, C Gregory Seab, Theodore P. Snow Jan 1989

On The Size Distribution Of Newly Formed Grains In Red Supergiant Atmospheres, C Gregory Seab, Theodore P. Snow

Physics Faculty Publications

Theoretical ultraviolet extinction curves have been calculated for comparison with observed curves for circumstellar dust in M supergiants. The theoretical curves assumed a silicate grain composition, because silicate grains are expected in the oxygen-rich environments that are observed. Calculations were performed with and without the inclusion of scattering into the beam, with largely similar results. A comparison of the computed curves with the observed ultraviolet extinction curve for circumstellar dust in Scorpii indicates that the size distribution of the circumstellar grains must cut off near 800 Å that is, there are few or no grains smaller than this. Our conclusion …


Predicting Peculiar Interstellar Extinction From Gaseous Abundances, Charles L. Joseph, Theodore P. Snow, C Gregory Seab Jan 1989

Predicting Peculiar Interstellar Extinction From Gaseous Abundances, Charles L. Joseph, Theodore P. Snow, C Gregory Seab

Physics Faculty Publications

Molecular and atomic abundances are examined for 19 lines of sight through dense clouds, each with a peculiar selective extinction curve. The interstellar clouds in the present study appear to fall into two distinct categories: CN-rich, with relatively small amounts of neutral iron, or CN-poor, with large amounts of neutral iron. Lines of sight, having a CN/(Fe i) abundance ratio about two (~ 0.3 dex) or greater, are found to have a shallow (2.57 ± 0.55 mag) 2175 Å feature relative to the underlying extinction, while the strength of the bump is 3.60 ± 0.36 for the other dense clouds …