Unidentified infrared bands do not correlate with C/O ratio in planetary nebulae

Abstract

The concrete evidence adduced to support the widely held idea that unidentified infrared bands (UIBs) are enhanced in carbon-rich planetary nebulae (PNe) is a remarkable UIB 7.7 μm versus C/O ratio correlation plot for six PNe, obtained from air-born observations and published in 1986 by M. Cohen and coworkers. However, the space-born data presented by Cohen & Barlow in 2005 undercut this correlation, and I show that the larger dataset they provide disproves a specific link between UIBs and carbon abundance in PNe. It also follows from these data that interstellar UIB carriers cannot originate from the atmosphere of carbon-rich PNe.

arXiv comment4 pages, 3 Figures. Paper rejected by A&A Letters (Editor S. Shore; anonymous referee, report available upon request)