The Diffuse Interstellar Bands

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Observational Characteristics of the Diffuse Bands

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. The Diffuse Bands: A Review with Speculations

      • Wm. H. Smith

      Pages 3-12

   3. Diffuse Interstellar Bands in Individual Sightlines

      • J. Krełowski, C. Sneden

      Pages 13-24

   4. Ultra-High-Resolution Spectroscopy of Diffuse Bands

      • R. E. Hibbins, J. R. Miles, P. J. Sarre, S. J. Fossey, W. B. Somerville

      Pages 25-30

   5. The Diffuse Interstellar Bands Towards Southern Stars

      • S. J. Fossey, W. B. Somerville

      Pages 31-38

   6. The Diffuse Interstellar Band Spectrum

      • P. Jenniskens, F.-X. Désert

      Pages 39-51

   7. Revisiting Diffuse Interstellar Bands in the Satellite Ultraviolet with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph

      • Jason A. Cardelli

      Pages 53-63

   8. Diffuse Interstellar Bands in the near Infrared — A Dedicated Search for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Fullerene Cations

      • B. H. Foing, P. Ehrenfreund

      Pages 65-72

   9. A Search for Polarization in Diffuse Interstellar Bands Towards HD197770

      • A. J. Adamson, D. C. B. Whittet

      Pages 73-79

3. Environmental Behavior of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81

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   2. Collective Behaviour of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands

      • W. B. Somerville

      Pages 83-95

   3. DIBs and UV Extinction

      • F.-X. Désert, P. Jenniskens

      Pages 97-103

   4. The Environment Dependence of Diffuse Interstellar Bands

      • P. Ehrenfreund, P. Jenniskens

      Pages 105-112

   5. Diffuse Interstellar Bands in the Young Galactic Clusters M16 and M17

      • W. Pfau, Th. Henning

      Pages 113-119

   6. The Interstellar Space Mosaic: A User Interface for Accessing ISM Data World-wide distributed

      • I. Porceddu, S. Corda, F. Pasian, R. Smareglia

      Pages 121-128

   7. Diffuse Circumstellar Bands

      • C. Gregory Seab

      Pages 129-142

   8. Red Rectangle Emission Bands

      • J. R. Miles, P. J. Sarre, S. M. Scarrott

      Pages 143-148

   9. Hac and the Ere

      • Adolf N. Witt, Douglas G. Furton

      Pages 149-155

   10. Visible Luminescence from PAH Cations and the Diffuse Bands in Emission

       • C. Joblin, F. Salama, L. Allamandola

       Pages 157-163

The mystery of the diffuse interstellar bands has been variously a curiosity, a co­ nundrum, and a nuisance for astronomers in the seven decades since the features were first noticed, but recently they have become a forefront issue in astrophysics. Ever since Paul Merrill, in a series of papers starting in 1934, pointed out the interstellar and unidentified nature of the bands, a Who's Who of twentieth century astronomers have tried their hands at solving the problem of identifying the carriers. Henry Norris Russell, Pol Swings, Otto Struve, Paul Ledoux, W. W. Morgan, Walter Adams, Jesse Greenstein, Lawrence Aller, and Gerhard Herzberg all briefly entered the stage, only to move on quickly to other problems where the chances for progress appeared more realistic. In more recent times a number of equally prominent scientists have pursued the bands, but generally only as a sideline to their real astronomical research. But in the past decade, and particularly in the past three years, the view of the search for the diffuse band absorbers as an interesting but perhaps quixotic quest has changed. Today there are several astronomers, as well as laboratory chemists, who are devoting substantial research time and resources to the problem and, as perhaps the most reliable indicator of the newly elevated status of research in this field, some research grants have now been awarded for the study of the bands.

• interstellar matter
• molecule
• spectra
• stellar

• NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA

  A. G. G. M. Tielens

• Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA

  T. P. Snow

Policies and ethics