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The Origin of Unidentified Infrared Emission Features in Galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2013

Sun Kwok
Sun Kwok*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China email: sunkwok@hku.hk
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Abstract

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The family of unidentified infrared emission features, consisting of discrete and plateau features in the mid-infrared, are now observed in distant galaxies. A significant fraction of the total energy output of some infrared galaxies is emitted in these features. Comparisons of these features with those observed in the circumstellar and interstellar media suggest that these organic species are synthesized and ejected by evolved stars. Models of possible chemical structures of the carrier of these features are discussed.

Keywords

dustextinction — planetary nebulae: general — ISM: lines and bands — ISM: molecules

References

Kwok, S. 2004, Nature, 430, 985Google Scholar
Kwok, S. 2011, Organic Matter in the Universe, WileyCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kwok, S. & Zhang, Y. 2011, Nature, 479, 80Google Scholar
Smith, J. D. T., Draine, B. T., Dale, D. A., et al., 2007, ApJ, 656, 770CrossRefGoogle Scholar