Old astronomic riddle on the way to be solved
Credit: University of Basel
Scientists at the University of Basel were able to identify for the first time a molecule responsible for the absorption of starlight in space: the positively charged Buckminsterfullerene, or so-called football molecule. Their results have been published in the current issue of Nature.
Almost 100 years ago, astronomers discovered that the spectrum of star light arrived on earth with dark gaps, so-called interstellar bands. Ever since, researchers have been trying to find out which type of matter in space absorbs the light and is responsible for these “diffuse interstellar bands” (DIB) of which over 400 are known today.
![Diffuse_Interstellar_Bands[1]](https://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/diffuse_interstellar_bands1.png?quality=75)
Football molecule and interstellar clouds
Astronomers have been suspecting for a while that big complex molecules and gaseous ions based on carbon could be absorbing the starlight. The Buckminsterfullerene is such a molecule: a structure made up of 60 carbon atoms shaped like a football that was first discovered in the mid-1980s.
After this discovery, the questions arose if it was possible that the football molecule was in fact responsible for the DIB. The research team led by Prof. John P. Maier from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel has been studying the electronic absorption of the ionized Buckminsterfullerene since 1993. In fact, the spectrum measured in the lab did show absorption features at two wavelengths that were near two DIB that had been discovered by astronomers the following year.
Conditions similar to outer space
In order to unequivocally prove that these molecules absorb starlight and thus produce the DIB, a gas phase spectrum of the ion was needed. The Basel researchers now succeeded at this: “This is the very first unequivocal identification of such a molecule in the interstellar clouds”, says Professor John P. Maier. “We have achieved a breakthrough in solving the old riddle of the diffuse interstellar bands.”
In order to obtain the spectrum in the laboratory using a diode laser, several thousand ionized Fullerenes were confined in a radiofrequency trap and cooled down by collisions with high density helium to very low temperatures of around 6 degree Kelvin – conditions very similar to outer space.
The absorptions measured in the laboratory coincide exactly with the astronomical data, and have comparable bandwidths and relative intensities. This identifies for the first time two DIB and proves that ionized Buckminsterfullerene (C60+) is present at the gas-phase in space. “This is remarkable, considering the complexity of this molecular ion and the presence of high-energy radiation in such an environment”, says Maier.
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Original source
E. K. Campbell, M. Holz, D. Gerlich & J. P. Maier
Laboratory confirmation of C60+ as carrier of two diffuse interstellar bands
Nature (2015), doi: 10.1038/nature14566
As carbon is black all this stuff in interstellor space must be evil, is it the dark matter or the dark energy that in the standard model that makes up 95% of space. Maybe it is the long derided Aether those subspun photons that teem but are not seen, spun up we see them, spin them up a bit more they become electrons mysteriously appearing in vacuum tubes,. The Aether that does not exist seems to be most of the universe, I take great delight after waiting half a century to see the surprise of Pluto, no doubt I shall be long passed before science grows up and becomes free of political correctness and monetary gain[dirty money]
The internet may save science from itself ,TonyN yes that fact that light travels from distant objects to us through so much stuff gives it a red shift, it does not mean it is accelerating away from us, it just means there is a lot of stuff in space.
Thanks, Anthony. Very interesting article.
Yes, these diffuse absorption bands have been a big mystery, now lees so.
While I think this is very cool…
They have shown that this COULD be one of the molecules that cause DIB, but, IMHO, this is far from confirming that this IS on of the molecules that cause DIB.
So now I’m left wondering what kind of space drive produces bucky balls as exhaust. ^¿^
I absolutely fail to see how absorption of certain specific wavelengths (which appears to be what this article is about) can cause red-shift, which is the consistent shifting towards the long end, of identifiable spectra that are (once you shift them back) more or less identical to spectra from nearby stars. This is what I learned in first-year physics (wasn’t required for earth-science people but I sat in out of interest, god god almighty what a keener I once was!). Either I’m missing something or I have fallen into a nest of conspiracy-theorists who conveniently dispense with factual analysis. And I do miss stuff all the time, so that’s not a rhetorical device, just a statement of alternative possibilities.
But (thinks….) If I read this right, the absorbed bands should also be red-shifted from distant absorption sites relative to nearby absorption sites. Perhaps that’s why they’re diffuse, mixing of absorbed spectra with different degrees of red-shifting of the absorbed wavelengths due to absorption in multiple clouds of buckyballs at different distances (not the source spectra, which would be fixed at one level of red-shiftedness by distance/velocity of the source star). I’m not explaining it very well, am I?
Expanding universe does not equal BBT. When I hear learned astrophysicists talk about “inflation” during the first couple of yoctoseconds of the BB, I start thinking of pinheads and angels (and climate models too!). But then again, I may be missing something. It has been known.