[astro-ph.EP] We report observations of comet 81P/Wild 2, target of the Stardust sample return mission, on UT 2023 March 20 and 24 at a heliocentric distance (rH) of 1.85 au […]
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
Posted inAstrochemistry
The JWST Proto-PAH Project: Aromatic Backbones With Extensive Aliphatic Substitution Account For Both The Aromatic And Aliphatic mission
[astro-ph.GA] We find that the aromatic and aliphatic emission bands in four carbon-rich post-asymptotic giant branch stars with class D emission arise from a single carrier population: extensive aliphatic decoration […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
The Abundance And Emission Of PAHs From The Local To Early Universe
[astro-ph.GA] We present the first large-volume cosmological simulation of galaxy evolution with a model for the abundance and luminous emission of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) across a wide range of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Variations in the 3.3 µm Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Feature Across Nearby Galaxies Driven by Metallicity and Radiation Field Spectrum
[astro-ph.GA] We use JWST NIRCam imaging to investigate the 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature in nearby galaxies. NIRCam observations of the 3.3 μm feature are emerging as a […]
![PAH ratio maps for the five PAHSPECS galaxies. We only show pixels that have a > 3σ measurement of the ratio. The left column shows NIRCAM color images using the F090W, F200W, F444W filters (M. J. Rieke et al. 2023). The second column shows the PAH6.2/PAH7.7 ratio. The third column shows the PAH11.3/PAH7.7 ratios. The fourth column shows the PAH3.3/PAH11.3 ratios. The final column shows [ArII]/PAH6.2. -- astro-ph.GA](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/PAHSPECS-Spatially-Resolved-PAH.png?resize=1200%2C716&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
PAHSPECS: Spatially Resolved PAH Spectroscopy At Cosmic Noon With JWST MIRI MRS
We present spatially resolved spectroscopy with JWST/MIRI MRS of a representative sample of normal star-forming galaxies at z∼1.1 as part of the PAHSPECS program.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Spatial Analysis Of PAH Molecules In The Pillars Of Creation Using JWST
I present a spatially resolved analysis of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) population in the Pillars of Creation within the Eagle Nebula (M16) using the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Aromatic Species In The Molecular Universe
Interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) are an important component of the interstellar medium of galaxies, containing some 10 percent of the elemental carbon. Their vibrational emission dominates the mid-infrared spectra […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
PHANGS-JWST: The Largest Extragalactic Molecular Cloud Catalog Traced By Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission
High-resolution JWST images of nearby spiral galaxies reveal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission structures that trace molecular gas, including CO-dark regions.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
The Role Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Astrochemical Modeling At Different Evolutionary Stages Of Cold Dense Cloud Cores
Context. Although the role of PAHs have been highlighted in recent years, it is crucial to verify their functions at different evolutionary stages of dark cloud cores.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
A Critical Examination Of The PAH Hypothesis
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) hypothesis proposes that the aromatic infrared bands (AIBs) observed at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, 11.3, and 12.7 mic originate from gas-phase PAH molecules.