| Abstract | Based on gas-phase laboratory spectra at 6 K, Campbell et al. confirmed that the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) at 9632.7 and 9577.5 Å are due to absorption by the fullerene ion C60 +. They also reported the detection of two other, weaker bands at 9428.5 and 9365.9 Å. These lie in spectral regions heavily contaminated by telluric water vapor lines. We acquired CFHT ESPaDOnS spectra of HD 183143 close to the zenith and chopped with a nearby standard to correct for the telluric line absorption which enabled us to detect a DIB at 9365.9 Å of relative width and strength comparable to the laboratory absorption. There is a DIB of similar strength and FWHM at 9362.5 Å. A stellar emission feature at 9429 Å prevented detection of the 9428.5 Å band. However, a CFHT archival spectrum of HD 169454, where emission is absent at 9429 Å, clearly shows the 9428.5 Å DIB with the expected strength and width. These results further confirm C60 + as a DIB carrier. |
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