The Charge State of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons across a Reflection Nebula, an HII Region, and a Planetary Nebula

Low-resolution Spitzer-IRS spectral map data of a reflection nebula (NGC 7023), H II region (M17), and planetary nebula (NGC 40), totaling 1417 spectra, are analyzed using the data and tools available through the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission is broken down into PAH charge and size subclass contributions using a database-fitting approach. The resulting charge breakdown results are combined with those derived using the traditional PAH band strength ratio approach, which interprets particular PAH band strength ratios as proxies for PAH charge. Here the 6.2/11.2 pm PAH band strength ratio is successfully calibrated against its database equivalent: the n(PAH)/n(PAH)(0) ratio. In turn, this ratio is converted into the PAH ionization parameter, which relates it to the strength of the radiation field, gas temperature, and electron density. Population diagrams are used to derive the H-2 density and temperature. The bifurcated plot of the 8.6 versus 11.2 pm PAH band strength for the northwest photo dissociation region in NGC 7023 is shown to be a robust diagnostic template for the n(PAH)(+)/n(PAH)(0) ratio in all three objects. Template spectra for the PAH charge and size subclasses are determined for each object and shown to favorably compare. Using the determined template spectra from NGC 7023 to fit the emission in all three objects yields, upon inspection of the Structure SIMilarity maps, satisfactory results. The choice of extinction curve proves to be critical. Concluding, the distinctly different astronomical environments of a reflection nebula, H II region, and planetary nebula are reflected in their PAH emission spectra.