Solid-phase C60 in the peculiar binary XX Oph

Authors

A. Evans, Keele University
J. Th van Loon, Keele University
C. E. Woodward, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
R. D. Gehrz, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
G. C. Clayton, Louisiana State University
L. A. Helton, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
M. T. Rushton, University of Central Lancashire
S. P.S. Eyres, University of Central Lancashire
J. Krautter, Landessternwarte Heidelberg
S. Starrfield, School of Earth and Space Exploration
R. M. Wagner, Large Binocular Telescope Observatory

Document Type

Letter to the Editor

Publication Date

1-1-2012

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 C60 - the first detection of C60 in the solid phase - together with the well-known 'unidentified infrared' emission features. We suggest that, in the case of XX Oph, the C60 is located close to the hot component, and that in general it is preferentially excited by stars having effective temperatures in the range 15 000-30 000 K. C60 may be common in circumstellar environments, but unnoticed in the absence of a suitable exciting source. © 2012 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2012 RAS.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

First Page

L92

Last Page

L96

Recommended Citation

Evans, A., van Loon, J., Woodward, C., Gehrz, R., Clayton, G., Helton, L., Rushton, M., Eyres, S., Krautter, J., Starrfield, S., & Wagner, R. (2012). Solid-phase C60 in the peculiar binary XX Oph. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 421 (1), L92-L96. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2012.01213.x