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.
Local Host: Betsy Mills
