THEORETICAL MODELING OF THE INFRARED FLUORESCENCE BY INTERSTELLAR POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS

We modelled the IR emission of interstellar PAHs. Substantial differences between the IR properties of interstellar and laboratory PAHs are found, possibly resulting from ionization. The various IR features being dominated by distinctly different size PAHs, their observed relative intensities are sensitive indicators of the size distribution. A number of applications of our model related to future ISO and SIRTF IR data are pointed out.