On the hypothesis of H2 as the carrier of the diffuse interstellar bands

✍ Scribed by P.C. Hinne; W. Ubachs

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 381 KB
• Volume: 240
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2614
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2614(95)00508-2

✦ Synopsis

In a laboratory experiment, employing an extreme ultraviolet/near-infrared double resonance technique, a recent hypothesis by Sorokin and Glownia on the carrier of the diffuse interstellar bands is tested. Quantum states C 1 ÷ H u, v = 9, J = 1-3 of molecular hydrogen were populated by an extreme ultraviolet laser at 86 nm and used as absorber states for a second excitation step. In transitions to autoionizing doubly excited states of H 2 many resonances of strongly varying widths were observed. The frequency positions and linewidths are in general not consistent with the observed diffuse interstellar bands in the range 766-788 nm, nor with the predictions of Sorokin and Glownia. However, two lines are found in the present study that do coincide with diffuse interstellar bands.