The UV spectrum of nebulae

This paper presents an analysis of the UV spectrum of some nebulae with clearly identified illuminating stars, all observed by the IUE satellite. The data show remarkable properties of the UV spectrum of the nebulae. Each spectrum is the product of the star spectrum and a linear function of 1/lambda. There is no peculiar behaviour in the spectrums at 2200 Angstrom: no bump created in the spectrum of a nebula and no excess of scattering. When moving away from the star, the surface brightness of a nebula decreases as the inverse of the square of the angular distance to the star. These results can logically be interpreted in terms of scattering of starlight. They imply constant properties of the interstellar grains in the UV and in the directions of space sampled by the nebulae, and probably a strong forward scattering phase function. There is no evidence for any particular type of grain which would specifically extinguish starlight at 2200 Angstrom. Concerning the UV spectrum of a star, this may imply a revisal of the traditional interpretation of the 2200 Angstrom bump. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.