| |
 |
| Paper: |
Physics and Chemistry of Molecules and Dust at Low Temperatures |
| Volume: |
294, Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets |
| Page: |
539 |
| Authors: |
Ferguson, J. W.; Alexander, D. R.; Tamanai, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Hauschildt, P. H.; Allard, F. |
| Abstract: |
The issues associated with computing the opacity of material at low temperatures are described. The computation of the opacity requires both a thorough knowledge of the chemical state of the material (species populations) and the absorption/scattering behavior of those species. At low temperatures, both of these issues become very complex. For temperatures below 1800K, some materials begin to precipitate out of the gas phase as small solid particles. Because these small grains are very efficient at absorbing and scattering light, they dominate the opacity whenever they exist. The abundance of important molecular and solid absorbers as a function of temperature, pressure, and the chemical composition will be explored. The effects of dust on the computation of stellar atmospheres will be discussed. |
|
|
|
|
|
