Fullerenes and interstellar extinction

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">In recent years, the presence of fullerenes, an important carbon dust species, in various astrophysical regions has been confirmed via astronomical observations of the infrared vibrational spectra of C₆₀ and C₇₀. Herein, we focus on the abundances of three fullerenes, C₆₀, C₇₀, and C₈₄, in the diffuse interstellar medium. Using the experimentally obtained dielectric functions of C₆₀, C₇₀, and C₈₄, we calculate their absorption properties in the visible and ultraviolet bands. By comparing with the interstellar extinction curve, we derive an upper limit of 5, 7, and <sc>5 ppm</sc> for the C/H abundance of C₆₀, C₇₀, and C₈₄, respectively. </p>

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