Diffuse Interstellar Bands: Families and Correlations

The term ``families of diffuse bands'' (DIBs) appeared in 1986/87 when my collaborators: Gordon A.H. Walker, Bengt E. Westerlund and I found that the strength ratio of the major DIBs 5780 and 5797 is heavily variable. We proved that at the same E(B-V) the DIB intensities may vary by as much as a factor of three or more. A similar result was published by Karl Josafatsson and Ted Snow soon after. A decade later, we proved (with Chris Sneden) that certain DIB strength ratios seem to be related to intensities of the known features of simple molecular species; this led to the introduction of the so called σ and ζ type interstellar clouds. The former are characterized by very weak molecular features (but broad DIBs - very strong) while the latter by rather strong bands of simple radicals and weak broad DIBs. Currently we face a bunch of questions: are the DIB intensities related to those of certain molecular species, e.g. C₂ as suggested by Lew Hobbs' and Ted Snow's group? Do the DIB profiles, found to be complex by Peter Sarre, depend on e.g. the rotational temperatures of simple, linear carbon species? Do the DIB profiles depend on the irradiation of interstellar clouds by nearby stars? The relative DIB strengths as well as those of the simple radicals seem to be related to the shapes of interstellar extinction curves. We thus face three players in the interstellar translucent clouds: dust particles, simple radicals and the DIB carriers. Apparently, their mutual relations depend on local physical parameters of intervening clouds; these relations are not clear yet.