Work

Determining the Grain Composition of the Interstellar Medium with High‐Resolution X‐Ray Spectroscopy

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: We investigate the ability of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy to directly probe the grain composition of the interstellar medium. Using iron K-edge experimental data of likely ISM dust candidates taken at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, we explore the prospects for determining the chemical composition of astrophysical dust and discuss a technique for doing so. Focusing on the capabilities of the Astro-E2 XRS microcalorimeters, we assess the limiting effects of spectral resolution and noise for detecting significant X-ray absorption fine structure signal in astrophysical environments containing dust. We find that given sufficient signal, the resolution of the XRS will allow us to definitively distinguish gas-phase from dust-phase absorption and certain chemical compositions.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.1086/428118

Authors: Julia C. Lee, B. Ravel

Institutions: Harvard University, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory Chemistry Division

Language: English

Topic: Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Award: G8945776167