Solid-phase C_60 in the peculiar binary XX Oph?

Abstract

We present infrared spectra of the binary XX Oph obtained with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The data show some evidence for the presence of solid C_60 - the first detection of C_60 in the solid phase - together with the well-known ``Unidentified Infrared'' emission features. We suggest that, in the case of XX Oph, the C_60 is located close to the hot component, and that in general it is preferentially excited by stars having effective temperatures in the range 15,000-30,000K. C_60 may be common in circumstellar environments, but un-noticed in the absence of a suitable exciting source.

Accepted for publication in MNRAS

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• Examining the class B-to-A shift of the 7.7 $\mu$m PAH band with the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database
• Diffuse interstellar bands in fullerene planetary nebulae: the fullerenes - diffuse interstellar bands connection
• C60 as a probe for astrophysical environments
• Search for Hydrogenated C${}_{60}$ (fulleranes) in Circumstellar Envelopes
• Laboratory study of the formation of fullerene (from smaller to larger, C${}_{44}$ to C${}_{70}$)/anthracene cluster cations in the gas phase