Detection of C₆₀ and C₇₀ in a young planetary nebula

Cami, Jan; Bernard-Salas, Jeronimo; Peeters, Els and Malek, Sarah Elizabeth (2010). Detection of C₆₀ and C₇₀ in a young planetary nebula. Science, 329(5996) pp. 1180–1182.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192035

Abstract

In recent decades, a number of molecules and diverse dust features have been identified by astronomical observations in various environments. Most of the dust that determines the physical and chemical characteristics of the interstellar medium is formed in the outflows of asymptotic giant branch stars and is further processed when these objects become planetary nebulae. We studied the environment of Tc 1, a peculiar planetary nebula whose infrared spectrum shows emission from cold and neutral C₆₀ and C₇₀. The two molecules amount to a few percent of the available cosmic carbon in this region. This finding indicates that if the conditions are right, fullerenes can and do form efficiently in space.

Viewing alternatives

Metrics

Item Actions

Export

You can export this page using these formats Digital Object Identifier - DOI