An extended red wing of the 5797 Å diffuse interstellar band in the Red Rectangle nebula

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are interstellar molecular absorption features that are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium (ISM). So far, there was only one known sight line in which DIBs show an extend tail towards the red (ETR), namely Herschel 36. Such sight lines are essential to illuminate the DIB problem, namely the identification of their carriers, because they show more DIB variation than standard ISM sight lines. We report a new detection of the 5797,Å DIB in the Red Rectangle nebula with an ETR, which adds a new observational constraint for the DIB carrier. We analysed archival GIRAFFE/FLAMES integral field spectroscopy to extract all spectral features between 5776 and 5810,Å at different spatial positions. We used time-series spectra to identify stellar and circumstellar features, and data from different instruments to exclude instrumental effects. We report the firm detection of the 5797,Å DIB that is localised in the Red Rectangle nebula, or in the ISM in the sight line towards it. Curiously, while the 5797,Å DIB shows an ETR in the Red Rectangle, the 5780,Å DIB does not. Further, we report an exceptionally high equivalent ratio of EW(5797)/EW(5780) = 1.79 This is higher than any other literature value.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2026-11-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202663048
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

An extended red wing of the 5797 Å diffuse interstellar band in the Red Rectangle nebula

E. Peeters, Hans Van Winckel, N. Przybilla, J. Cami et al.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
article

An extended red wing of the 5797 Å diffuse interstellar band in the Red Rectangle nebula

E. Peeters, Hans Van Winckel, N. Przybilla, J. Cami, I. Argyriou, A. Candian, P. Moraga Baez, L. B. F. M. Waters, A. N. Witt, A. Ebenbichler
article en

Abstract

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are interstellar molecular absorption features that are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium (ISM). So far, there was only one known sight line in which DIBs show an extend tail towards the red (ETR), namely Herschel 36. Such sight lines are essential to illuminate the DIB problem, namely the identification of their carriers, because they show more DIB variation than standard ISM sight lines. We report a new detection of the 5797,Å DIB in the Red Rectangle nebula with an ETR, which adds a new observational constraint for the DIB carrier. We analysed archival GIRAFFE/FLAMES integral field spectroscopy to extract all spectral features between 5776 and 5810,Å at different spatial positions. We used time-series spectra to identify stellar and circumstellar features, and data from different instruments to exclude instrumental effects. We report the firm detection of the 5797,Å DIB that is localised in the Red Rectangle nebula, or in the ISM in the sight line towards it. Curiously, while the 5797,Å DIB shows an ETR in the Red Rectangle, the 5780,Å DIB does not. Further, we report an exceptionally high equivalent ratio of EW(5797)/EW(5780) = 1.79 This is higher than any other literature value.

Astronomy and Astrophysics
European Southern Observatory, Canadian Space Agency, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Openalex Percentile: Top 18%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon