Carbon Nanoparticles and Carbonaceous Solids

This paper reports on the preparation of hydrogenated amorphous carbon nano-particles whose spectral characteristics include an absorption band at 217.5 nm with the profile and characteristics of the interstellar 217.5 nm feature. Vibrational spectra of these particles also contain the features commonly observed in IR absorption and emission from dust in the diffuse interstellar medium. These materials are produced under ``slow`` deposition conditions by minimizing the flux of incident carbon atoms and by reducing surface mobility.