Electronic spectroscopy of carbon chains

Carbon chains are of interest: in astrophysics and in terrestrial processes, such as fullerene formation. The electronic spectra of a variety of such chains have now been identified in the laboratory using a technique which enables absorption spectra of mass-selected species to be measured in neon matrices. The understanding of their transitions and the trends apparent for these homologous series point out which type and size of carbon chains are relevant for consideration as carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands.