Publication Date:
2015-07-17
Description:
The diffuse interstellar bands are absorption lines seen towards reddened stars. None of the molecules responsible for these bands have been conclusively identified. Two bands at 9,632 angstroms and 9,577 angstroms were reported in 1994, and were suggested to arise from C60(+) molecules (ref. 3), on the basis of the proximity of these wavelengths to the absorption bands of C60(+) measured in a neon matrix. Confirmation of this assignment requires the gas-phase spectrum of C60(+). Here we report laboratory spectroscopy of C60(+) in the gas phase, cooled to 5.8 kelvin. The absorption spectrum has maxima at 9,632.7 +/- 0.1 angstroms and 9,577.5 +/- 0.1 angstroms, and the full widths at half-maximum of these bands are 2.2 +/- 0.2 angstroms and 2.5 +/- 0.2 angstroms, respectively. We conclude that we have positively identified the diffuse interstellar bands at 9,632 angstroms and 9,577 angstroms as arising from C60(+) in the interstellar medium.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Campbell, E K -- Holz, M -- Gerlich, D -- Maier, J P -- England -- Nature. 2015 Jul 16;523(7560):322-3. doi: 10.1038/nature14566.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland. ; Department of Physics, Technische Universitat, 09107 Chemnitz, Germany.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26178962" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Print ISSN:
0028-0836
Electronic ISSN:
1476-4687
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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