Study of evolution and processing of interstellar dust based on infrared satellite data

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K03691
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 16010:Astronomy-related
• Research Institution: Meisei University (2019-2021); The University of Tokyo (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Onaka Takashi 明星大学, 理工学部, 教授 (30143358)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 左近 樹 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 助教 (70451820)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 星間物理学 / 赤外線分光 / 衛星観測 / 星間物質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on observations with the Infrared Camera (IRC) on the AKARI satellite, two peculiar objects are discovered on the Galactic Plane. Using the data taken with other infrared satellites, both objects are found to belong neither to a young star nor to a background star, suggesting that they may be a new-class of objects, which have not been known previously. Using the all-sky survey data taken with AKARI and Planck satellites, we also obtain for the first time clear evidence that the Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME) originates from very small spinning dust that emit features in the near- to mid-infrared in the lambda Orionis region. Lastly, using the Density Functional Theory (DFT), we investigate the effects of side-groups and nitrogen impurity to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Free Research Field

天体物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「あかり」衛星及び他の赤外線衛星のデータ解析を進め、新しい種類の可能性がある天体の発見や、マイクロ波でみられる異常超過(AME)の起源を初めて明らかにする結果を得るなど、新しい知見が得られ、「あかり」衛星の観測成果を社会に発信することができた。また星間物質の重要な一員と認知されてきたPAHについて、今後の赤外線観測につながる理論的な解析結果を得た。これらの結果は2021年12月にNASAが打ち上げたJame Webb Space Telescope (JWST)の観測につながる重要な成果であり、今後の様々な星間物質の観測計画に発展することが期待される。