The Infrared Spectra of Very Large Irregular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): Observational Probes of Astronomical PAH Geometry, Size and Charge

The mid-IR spectra of six large, irregular PAHs with formulae (C84H24 – C120H36) have been computed using Density Functional Theory (DFT). Trends in the dominant band positions and intensities are compared to those of large, compact PAHs as a function of geometry, size and charge. Irregular edge moieties that are common in terrestrial PAHs, such as bay regions and rings with quartet hydrogens, are shown to be uncommon in astronomical PAHs. As for all PAHs comprised solely of C and H reported to date, mid-IR emission from irregular PAHs fails to produce a strong CCstr band at 6.2 μm, the position characteristic of the important, class A astronomical PAH spectra. Earlier studies showed inclusion of nitrogen within a PAH shifts this to 6.2 μm for PAH cations. Here we show this band shifts to 6.3 μm in nitrogenated PAH anions, close to the position of the CC stretch in class B astronomical PAH spectra. Thus nitrogenated PAHs may be important in all sources and the peak position of the CC stretch near 6.2 μm appears to directly reflect the PAH cation to anion ratio. Large irregular PAHs exhibit features at 7.8 μm but lack them near 8.6 μm. Hence, the 7.7 μm astronomical feature is produced by a mixture of small and large PAHs while the 8.6 μm band can only be produced by large compact PAHs. As with the CCstr, the position and profile of these bands reflect the PAH cation to anion ratio. NASA-Ames Research Center, Space Technology Division, Mail Stop 230-3, Moffet Field, CA 94035, USA; [email protected] Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; [email protected] SETI Institute, 515 N. Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA NASA-Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffet Field, CA 94035, USA; [email protected]