TY - JOUR

T1 - Nanodiamond dust and the energy distribution of quasars

AU - Binette, L.

AU - Andersen, A. C.

AU - Mutschke, H.

AU - Haro-Corzo, S.

PY - 2006/4/3

Y1 - 2006/4/3

N2 - The spectral energy distribution of quasars shows a sharp steepening of the continuum shortward of ≃ 1100 Å. The steepening could be a result of dust absorption. We present a dust extinction model which considers crystalline carbon grains and compare it with SMC-like dust extinction consisting of a mixture of silicate grains with graphite or amorphous carbon grains. We show that the sharp break seen in individual quasar spectra of intermediate redshift ∼1-2 can be reproduced by dust absorption provided the extinction curve consists of nanodiamonds, composed of terrestial cubic diamonds or of diamonds similar to the presolar nanodiamonds found in primitive meteorites.

AB - The spectral energy distribution of quasars shows a sharp steepening of the continuum shortward of ≃ 1100 Å. The steepening could be a result of dust absorption. We present a dust extinction model which considers crystalline carbon grains and compare it with SMC-like dust extinction consisting of a mixture of silicate grains with graphite or amorphous carbon grains. We show that the sharp break seen in individual quasar spectra of intermediate redshift ∼1-2 can be reproduced by dust absorption provided the extinction curve consists of nanodiamonds, composed of terrestial cubic diamonds or of diamonds similar to the presolar nanodiamonds found in primitive meteorites.

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - ISM: dust

KW - Ultraviolet emission

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645321842&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/asna.200510497

DO - 10.1002/asna.200510497

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:33645321842

VL - 327

SP - 151

EP - 154

JO - Astronomische Nachrichten

JF - Astronomische Nachrichten

SN - 0004-6337

IS - 2-3

ER -