Four newly identified sources with 21 micron emission

Abstract

Mid-infrared spectroscopy and near- and mid-infrared photometry have been obtained for four carbon-rich cool IRAS sources whose IRAS low-resolution spectra are similar to those of proto-planetary nebulae (PPNs) possessing the unusual 21 μm emission feature. The 21 μm feature is detected in all four sources, nearly doubling the number of known 21 μm emitters. The energy distributions of these objects show the characteristic "double-peaked" structure, confirming that they are PPNs. Broad features near 7.7 and 11.3 μm similar to the unidentified infrared features (UIRs) seen in carbon-rich planetary nebulae (PNs) are also detected, suggesting a chemical link between these PPNs and PNs. The presence of the 21 μm eature appears to be correlated with the presence of unusually strong 3.4-3.5 μm features. Possible scenarios for the evolution of these emission features in the PPN phase are discussed.