An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The strongest spectral feature in the interstellar → extinction curve occurring in the → ultraviolet and centered at about 2175 Å. The feature is a strong function of the → metallicity of the gas. It appears slightly weaker in the → LMC extinction curve (metallicity about 50% solar), but essentially absent in the → SMC extinction curve (metallicity about 10% solar). Small → interstellar  → graphite  → dust grains or a mixture of graphite and → polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) grains have been proposed in → dust models to explain the bump. However, at present the → carrier of the 2175 Å feature is basically unidentified.

See also: → angstrom; → bump.