GBT23A-047
Closing the Loop: PAHs Toward Cyg OB2-12
Abstract
Recent detections of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules in TMC-1 with the GBT reveal abundances far in excess of models of injection from evolved stars, suggesting in situ formation. We propose a test of this hypothesis through a search for the same PAHs toward the luminous hypergiant Cyg OB2-12. This sightline has a comparable dust column (A_V~10) to TMC-1 and measured mid-infrared PAH absorption features, but is at an earlier evolutionary stage than TMC-1 and is dominated by diffuse gas. Here we propose a 6 hr pilot observation to look for important precursor molecules, including the aromatic molecule benzonitrile, on this sightline.
Investigators
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Brett McGuire * | National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Brandon Hensley | Princeton University |
| Tony Remijan | National Radio Astronomy Observatory |
| Andrew Burkhardt | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Wellesley College; Worcester State University |
| CI XUE | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Mark Siebert | Cornell University; Virginia, University of; Chalmers University Of Technology |
* indicates the PI