view Abstract Citations (2) References (13) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS 3.4 Micron Emission from Ultraviolet Excitation of Alkanes Pinho, G. P. ; Duley, W. W. Abstract We have observed emission at 3.4 microns from long paraffinic hydrocarbons molecules in a solid excited with 308 nm excimer laser radiation. The lifetime of this emission is approximately 10 microseconds. An analysis of the excitation and deactivation of the emitter shows that this decay arises due to thermal quenching via conduction in a thin surface layer. The energy conversion efficiency (UV to 3.4 microns) under the conditions of these experiments is approximately 7 x 10-6 but will be substantially greater in the absence of conduction, i.e., for smaller samples as would exist, for example, in interstellar dust. We suggest that 3.4 micron emission from a separate population of aliphatic compounds either in the form of small dust particles (or as layers on dust) or as free molecules may contribute to the 3.4 micron sidebands in UV-excited IR sources. These compounds would be distinct from the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emitter thought to be responsible for 3.28 micron emission. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: March 1995 DOI: 10.1086/187811 Bibcode: 1995ApJ...442L..41P Keywords: Alkanes; Chemical Composition; Excimer Lasers; Interstellar Matter; Laser Beams; Ultraviolet Emission; Absorption Spectra; Infrared Spectra; Molecular Excitation; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Astrophysics; INFRARED: ISM: LINES AND BANDS; ISM: MOLECULES; MOLECULAR PROCESSES full text sources ADS |