Limited diversity of the interstellar extinction law
Abstract
We have applied the method of investigating extinction curves using statistically meaningful samples that was proposed by us 25 years ago. The extensive data sets of the ANS (Astronomical Netherlands Satellite) and 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) were used, together with U BV photometry to create average extinction curves for samples of OB stars. Our results demonstrate that in the vast majority of cases the extinction curves are very close to the mean galactic extinction curve. Only a few objects were found to be obviously discrepant from the average. The latter phenomenon may be related to nitrogen chemistry in translucent interstellar clouds.
Data from ANS and 2MASS Tables A4-A6 are available at the CDS via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/AN/333/60- Publication:
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Astronomische Nachrichten
- Pub Date:
- January 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1002/asna.201111632
- Bibcode:
- 2012AN....333...60K
- Keywords:
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- ISM: clouds;
- ISM: molecules;
- dust;
- extinction