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NRAO/Socorro Colloquium Series

Paolo Pilleri

LANL

The Lifecycle of  Carbon Dust in our Galaxy: From molecular clouds to planetary nebulae

The surface layers of molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks harbor photodissociation regions (PDRs) where neutral gas is heated by the ultraviolet (UV) photons of nearby stars. In these regions, the interaction between the UV photons with the gas and the dust determine their physical and chemical evolution. In this talk, I will discuss the evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the smallest-in-size carbon dust particles, under the action of UV photons. These particles play a determinant role in the physics of PDRs (e.g. they have a significant contribution to the thermal balance by photo-electric heating) and they are key actors in the carbon chemical networks. I will show how observational facilities in the IR and radio domains can help constraining the physical and chemical processes of the interstellar medium and their impact on the lifecycle of matter in our Galaxy, and how this information can be used in the extra-galactic field. 



February 14, 2014
11:00 am

Array Operations Center Auditorium

All NRAO employees are invited to attend via video, available in Charlottesville 245, Green Bank Auditorium,  Tucson N525, and NTC 400.

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