The mid-infrared aliphatic bands associated with complex hydrocarbons

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
e-mail: p.ahlmann@gmail.com
² School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 3, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
³ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
⁴ NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
⁵ Institute of Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
⁶ SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
⁷ Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
⁸ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255, USA

Received: 10 June 2021
Accepted: 11 June 2022

Abstract

Context. The mid-infrared emission features commonly attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) vary in profile and peak position. These profile variations form the basis of their classification: Classes A, B, C reflect profiles with increasing central wavelength while Class D has similar central wavelength as Class B but a similar broad shape as Class C. A well-known empirical relationship exists between the central wavelength of these emission features in circumstellar environments and the effective temperature of their central stars. One posited explanation is that the presence of aliphatic hydrocarbons contributes to the variations in the shapes and positions of the features.

Aims. We aim to test this hypothesis by characterising the aliphatic emission bands at 6.9 and 7.25 µm and identifying relationships between these aliphatic bands and the aromatic features.

Methods. We have examined 5–12 µm spectra of 63 astronomical sources exhibiting hydrocarbon emission which have been observed by ISO/SWS, Spitzer/IRS, and SOFIA/FORCAST. We measured the intensities and central wavelengths of the relevant features and classified the objects based on their 7–9 µm emission complex. We examined correlations between the intensities and central wavelengths of the features, both aliphatic and aromatic, and investigated the behaviour of the aliphatic features based on the object type and hydrocarbon emission class.

Results. The presence of the 6.9 and 7.25 µm aliphatic bands depends on (aromatic) profile class, with aliphatic features detected in all Class D sources, 26% of the Class B sources, and no Class C sources. The peak position of the aliphatic features varies, with more variability seen in Class B sources than Class D sources, mimicking the degree of variability of the aromatic features in these classes. Variations are observed within Class D 6–9 µm profiles, but are significantly smaller than those in Class B. While a linear combination of Classes B and C emission can reproduce the Class D emission features at 6.2 and 7.7–8.6 µm, it cannot reproduce the aliphatic bands or the 11–14 µm hydrocarbon features. A correlation is found between the intensities of the two aliphatic bands at 6.9 and 7.25 µm, and between these aliphatic features and the 11.2 µm feature, indicating that conditions required for a population of neutral hydrocarbon particles are favourable for the presence of aliphatic material. A comparison with experimental data suggests a different assignment for the aliphatic 6.9 µm band in Class D and (some) Class B environments. Finally, we discuss evolutionary scenarios between the different classes.