Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Interstellar Grains

Steady state vibrational populations of SiO and CO in dilute black body radiation fields were calculated as a function of total pressure, kinetic temperature and chemical composition of the gas. Approximate calculations for polyatomic molecules are presented. Vibrational disequilibrium becomes increasingly significant as total pressure and radiation density decrease. Many regions of postulated grain formation are found to be far from thermal equilibrium before the onset of nucleation. Calculations based upon classical nucleation theory or equilibrium thermodynamics are expected to be of dubious value in such regions. Laboratory measurements of the extinction of small iron and magnetite grains were made from 195 nm to 830 nm and found to be consistent with predictions based upon published optical constants. This implies that small iron particles are not responsible for the 220 nm interstellar extinction features. Additional measurements are discussed.