Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy
Revisiting Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission In Photodissociation Regions, Ameek K. Sidhu
Revisiting Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission In Photodissociation Regions, Ameek K. Sidhu
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The mid-infrared (IR) spectrum of almost all objects in the Universe is dominated by a set of strong emission features characteristic of a class of large organic molecules made of carbon and hydrogen known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These molecules account for ~15% of the cosmic carbon and ~20% of the total IR power of the Milky Way and star-forming galaxies. They are strong absorbers of ultraviolet (UV) photons and release the absorbed energy through vibrational transitions that result in strong IR emission features. PAHs play a critical role in the evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) as they …