Dust around R Coronae Borealis stars: II. Infrared emission features in a H-poor environment

Abstract: Residual Spitzer/IRS spectra for a sample of 31 R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are presented and discussed in terms of narrow emission features superimposed on the quasi-blackbody continuous infrared emission. A broad ~6-10 um dust emission complex is seen in the RCBs showing an extreme H-deficiency. A secondary and much weaker ~11.5-15 um broad emission feature is detected in a few RCBs with the strongest ~6-10 um dust complex. The Spitzer infrared spectra reveal for the first time the structure within the ~6-10 um dust complex, showing the presence of strong C-C stretching modes at ~6.3 and 8.1 um as well as of other dust features at ~5.9, 6.9, and 7.3 um, which are attributable to amorphous carbonaceous solids with little or no hydrogen. The few RCBs with only moderate H-deficiencies display the classical 'unidentified infrared bands (UIRs)' and mid-infrared features from fullerene-related molecules. In general, the characteristics of the RCB infrared emission features are not correlated with the stellar and circumstellar properties, suggesting that the RCB dust features may not be dependent on the present physical conditions around RCB stars. The only exception seems to be the central wavelength of the 6.3 um feature, which is blue-shifted in those RCBs showing also the UIRs, i.e., the RCBs with the smallest H deficiency.