Fullerenes in circumstellar and interstellar environments

TL;DR

This paper reviews the presence and characteristics of fullerenes, especially C60 and C70, in space environments, highlighting their formation, survival, and excitation in circumstellar and interstellar media.

Contribution

It summarizes recent observational findings and discusses the current understanding and open questions regarding fullerene formation and excitation mechanisms in space.

Findings

Fullerenes detected in various astronomical objects via mid-IR spectra.

Cosmic fullerenes originate in circumstellar material of evolved stars.

Fullerenes can survive in the interstellar medium.

Abstract

In recent years, the fullerene species C60 (and to a lesser extent also C70) has been reported in the mid-IR spectra of various astronomical objects. Cosmic fullerenes form in the circumstellar material of evolved stars, and survive in the interstellar medium (ISM). It is not entirely clear how they form or what their excitation mechanism is.