A new approach towards solving mysteries of the interstellar medium
Friday, August 21, 2015 - 08:20
in Astronomy & Space
It is one of the most intriguing questions in astrochemistry: the mystery of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), a collection of about 400 absorption bands that show up in spectra of light that reaches the earth after having traversed the interstellar medium. Despite intense research efforts over the last few decades, an assignment of the DIBs has remained elusive, although indications exist that they may arise from the presence of large hydrocarbon molecules in interstellar space. Recent experiments at the Max Born Institute lend novel credibility to this hypothesis.