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We present the mid-infrared spectrum of HD 97300, observed with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. The star, often classified as a Herbig Be star, has high-contrast emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but no solid state feature near 10 microns. Unlike other Herbig Ae/Be stars, the PAH features from HD 97300 appear at their nominal wavelengths (i.e. not shifted slightly to the red) indicating that HD 97300 illuminates highly photo-processed PAHs rather than relatively pristine PAHs. We also detect a strong feature at 17 microns, presumably also from PAHs, in the spectrum of HD97300. The 17 micron feature is commonly observed in spectra of interstellar material and in star-burst galaxies so its presence in a Herbig star is remarkable. We suggest that the PAH emission, including the 17 micron feature, originates from the material surrounding HD 97300 and not from a proto-planetary disk. Combined with the ISM-like locations of the PAH features HD 97300, this observation raises the question whether HD 97300 is a Herbig star at all.
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