The size distribution of interstellar grains
J. S. Mathis, W. Rumpl, K. H. Nordsieck;
ApJ, 1977, 217, 425
ABSTRACT:An attempt is made to fit observational data on interstellar extinction over the wavelength range from 0.11 to 1 micron to particle-size
distributions of different materials in such a way that the strength and width of the
2160-A extinction bump are very well reproduced.
It is found that various
mixtures consisting of graphite, silicon carbide, enstatite, olivine, iron,
and magnetite are acceptable, that all the acceptable mixtures contain
spherical uncoated graphite particles, and that graphite is the main
contributor to the 2160-A feature.
The required particle-size distribution is
shown to be quite broad, with approximately a power-law distribution, for
all substances considered.
The sizes for graphite are estimated to vary
from about 0.005 to about 1 micron, and the observed uniformity of
extinction over the sky is explained in terms of a rather uniform power-law
exponent, which could have resulted from a stochastic process in grain formation
KEYWORDS: cosmic dust, interstellar extinction, interstellar matter, particle size distribution, enstatite, graphite, magnetite, olivine, polarization characteristics, ultraviolet astronomy
PERSOKEY:dust, polarisation, uv, extinction, size distribution, ,
CODE: mathis77