High-resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of small refractory molecules in the laboratory and in space

这个提议涉及富氧晚型恒星周围的分子含量，旨在更好地理解宇宙尘埃的早期形成过程。我们在该领域的贡献是通过实验室实验提供钛、铝或其他金属氧化物等难熔材料的瞬态小分子的高分辨率光谱。我们分析了实验数据，为天体物理分子探测提供了精确的谱线表。与国际合作伙伴一起，我们也主动地使用TEXES/IRTF或EXES/索菲亚等红外望远镜上的高分辨率仪器在恒星包层中寻找这些分子。与天体化学建模者和这类来源的专业天文学家合作，对观测结果进行了分析。许多被预测存在于晚型恒星附近的物种没有永久的偶极矩，因此无法在无线电波段观察到，如线性AlO 2或lin-TiO 2。在我们的实验室中，这些或相关的红外波长的分子的调查将是这项工作的主要课题。这项任务将需要购买新的可调谐中红外激光器。此外，还将进行伴随的高分辨率红外天体物理观测。

This proposal is concerned with the molecular content around oxygen rich late-type stars and aims for a better understanding of the early formation processes of cosmic dust. Our contribution in the field is to provide high-resolution spectra of small transient molecules of refractory materials like titanium-, aluminium- or other metal oxides by performing laboratory experiments. We analyse the experimental data and provide accurate line lists for astrophysical detections of molecules. With international partners, but also on own initiative, we search for these molecules in stellar envelopes using high-resolution instruments on infrared telescopes like TEXES/IRTF or EXES/SOFIA. The observations are analysed in cooperation with astrochemical modelers and specialized astronomers for this kind of sources. Many species that are predicted to be existent in close vicinity of late-type stars have no permanent dipole moment and therefore cannot be observed at radio wavelengths, like linear AlO2, or lin-TiO2. The investigation of these, or related, molecules at infrared wavelengths in our laboratory will be the main topic of this work. This task will require the purchase of new tuneable mid-IR lasers. In addition, accompanying high-resolution infrared astrophysical observations will be performed.