Infrared spectra of ZrC presolar grain analogues

Department of Nanophysics in Frontier Project, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu-shi, Shiga 525-8577, Japan e-mail: kaito@se.ritsumei.ac.jp

Corresponding author: Y. Kimura, rp092955@se.ritsumei.ac.jp

Received: 4 March 2003
Accepted: 16 June 2003

Abstract

The origins of spectral feature of stellar source are identified on the basis of laboratory studies. Although ZrC grains were identified as the crystalline presolar grains in meteorites, the spectral data of ZrC grains have not been measured in the laboratory. Therefore, ZrC grains with the same size as the presolar grains were produced in the laboratory. It has been found that the infrared spectrum of ZrC grains shows broad absorption features at 9.4 and 12.4 μm.