G. Pascoli et J. Leclercq, A MODEL FOR GROWTH OF HYDROGENATED CARBON CLUSTERS UNDER INTERSTELLARCONDITIONS, Astrophysics and space science, 246(1), 1997, pp. 141-152
The physico-chemical origin of the hydrogenated carbon clusters (cumul
enes, PAHs, graphite or amorphous carbon) in space is still an open qu
estion. We have worked out a numerical simulation code in order to bui
ld up planar (graphite-like) carbon clusters. We assume that hydrogen
atoms can fix on the carbon skeleton following a random process allowi
ng for H-2 formation. The structures we have found are very complex. I
n a given cluster, several molecular entities can simultaneously be pr
esent: (sp(2)) carbon chains, rings or compact formations (aromatic st
ructures or small PAHs). We argue that these very contorted hydrogenat
ed structures could be ubiquitous in the interstellar medium, in carbo
n-rich circumstellar regions and PNe.