| � 2008. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. COMPLEX ORGANIC MATERIALS IN THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK OF HR 4796A (2008) | |||||||||||||
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| We combine HST NICMOS imaging photometry of the HR 4796A disk at previously unobserved wavelengths between 1.71–2.22 mm with reprocessed archival observations to produce a measure of the dust’s scattering efficiency as a function of wavelength. The spectrum of the dust, synthesized from the seven photometric measures, is characterized by a steep red slope increasing from 0.5 to 1.6 mm followed by a flattening of the spectrum at wavelengths 11.6 mm. We fit the spectrum with a model population of dust grains made of tholins, materials composed of complex organic materials seen throughout the outer parts of our solar system. The presence of organic material around a star that may be in the later stages of giant planet formation implies that the basic building blocks for life may be common in planetary systems. Subject headings: circumstellar matter — stars: individual (HR 4796A) 1. | |||||||||||||
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