Study of interstellar extinction by aggregate dust model
C. Bhattacharjee, H. S. Das and A. K. Sen

Department of Physics, Assam University, Silchar, Assam
E-mail: bhattchinmoy@gmail.com

Abstract. Extinction generally occurs whenever electromagnetic radiation propagates through a medium containing small particles. The spectral dependence of extinction, or extinction curve, is a function of the composition, structure and size distribution of the particles. The study of interstellar extinction is important because they provide essential information for understanding the properties of the dust. In this work we have considered the aggregate dust model to interpret the extinction efficiency (Qext) of interstellar dust in the wavelength range 0.11-3.4 µm. Using Superposition T-matrix code with Ballistic Cluster-Cluster Aggregate (BCCA) aggregate having 64 number of monomers with graphite, astronomical silicates and amorphous carbon, the normalized extinction efficiency has been calculated for a well defined size distribution within a size range 0.001 to 0.077 micron of extinction near wavelength 2175o. The calculated normalized extinction efficiency curve is well matched with observed extinction efficiency.