The Diffuse Interstellar Bands (IAU S297)

This volume describes the current state of the art in research aimed at unraveling the carriers of the enigmatic diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). The DIBs are a set of hundreds of absorption bands that are seen from the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths. Their interstellar origin is well established, but the precise chemical identity of the DIB carriers remains to date one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in astronomical spectroscopy. These proceedings of IAU Symposium 297 include more than 70 contributions that cover a wide range of topics in observational astronomy and astrophysics; laboratory astrophysics and spectroscopy; astrochemistry; and theoretical, experimental and computational chemistry. This interdisciplinary overview contains all the required background material to make the volume an ideal starting point for researchers and graduate students to learn about the various aspects of DIBs and related topics.

• An interdisciplinary presentation with relevance for physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, spectroscopy and materials science (especially astro- but also biomaterials and carbon materials)
• Presents the state of the art, giving a comprehensive overview of the most recent results and techniques
• This volume contains all the required background material needed in order to start learning about the various aspects of DIBs and related topics