Related papers: Comment on "The shape and composition of interstel…
The {\it assumption of additive absorptivity} by different components in compound particles is a widely used method applied in the literature to the analysis of the chemical and structural properties of astronomical (circumstellar,…
The interstellar abundances of refractory elements indicate a substantial depletion from the gas phase, that increases with gas density. Our recent model of dust evolution, based on hydrodynamic simulations of the lifecycle of giant…
We present laboratory studies of the micro-structural evolution of an amorphous ferro-magnesian silicate, of olivine composition, following thermal annealing under vacuum. Annealing under vacuum was performed at temperatures ranging from…
Silicates are an important component of interstellar dust and the structure of these grains -- amorphous versus crystalline -- is sensitive to the local physical conditions. We have studied the infrared spectra of a sample of ultra-luminous…
We analyse observational correlations for three elements entering into the composition of interstellar silicate and oxide grains. Using current solar abundances (Asplund et al. 2009), we convert the gas-phase abundances into dust-phase…
Mineralogical studies of silicate features emitted by dust grains in protoplanetary disks and Solar System bodies can shed light on the progress of planet formation. The significant fraction of crystalline material in comets, chondritic…
Whether ice in cold cosmic environments is physically separated from the silicate dust or mixed with individual silicate moieties is not known. However, different grain models give very different compositions and temperatures of grains. The…
The composition of silicate dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks around young stars informs our understanding of the processing and evolution of the dust grains leading up to planet formation. Analysis of the…
A recent article reported experimental observations of methane and CO2 clathrate formation at conditions similar to the interstellar medium (ISM), namely 10-30 K and 10-10 mbar. The authors conducted time-dependent reflection-absorption…
Recently, Hoang et al. (arXiv:1608.05284) reported analysis of the interaction of relativistic spacecrafts with interstellar medium (ISM, i.e. gas atoms and dust particles) relevant for the Breakthrough starshot initiative…
The degree to which interstellar grains align with respect to the interstellar magnetic field depends on disaligning as well as aligning mechanisms. For decades, it was assumed that disalignment was due primarily to the random angular…
The depletion of iron and sulphur into dust in the interstellar medium and the exact nature of interstellar amorphous silicate grains is still an open question. We study the incorporation of iron and sulphur into amorphous silicates of…
The interstellar medium (ISM) is a very complex medium which contains the matter needed to form stars and planets. The ISM is in permanent interaction with radiation, turbulence, magnetic and gravitational fields, and accelerated particles.…
It is generally agreed that interstellar dust grains consist of two main components, namely, silicates and graphites. Some models, like MRN model, assume these grains to be homogeneous spheres following a power law size distribution. This…
Previous studies of galaxy clusters have focused extensively on the effects of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on the chemical evolution of the intra-cluster medium (ICM). However, similar studies on the atmospheres of lower mass…
This review provides an introduction to presolar grains - preserved stardust from the interstellar molecular cloud from which our solar system formed - found in primitive meteorites. We describe the search for the presolar components, the…
The detection of the amino acid glycine and its amine precursor methylamine on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta mission provides strong evidence for a cosmic origin of prebiotics on Earth. How and when such complex organic…
We investigated six presolar grains from very primitive regions of the matrix in the unequilibrated ordinary chondrite Semarkona with TEM. These grains include one SiC, one oxide (Mg-Al spinel), and four silicates. Structural and elemental…
Studying the composition of dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) is crucial in understanding the cycle of dust in our galaxy. The mid-infrared spectral signature of amorphous silicates, the most abundant dust species in the ISM, is studied…
Dust grains of crystalline silicate, which are rarely presented in interstellar space, were found in cometary nuclei. These crystalline silicates are thought to have formed by annealing of amorphous silicate grains or direct condensation of…