Related papers: Asymmetric silicate dust distribution toward the s…
We report the detection of interstellar silicate dust in the z_abs=0.685 absorber along the sightline toward the gravitationally lensed blazar TXS 0218+357. Using Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph data we detect the 10 micron…
The presence of crystalline silicates has been detected in the circumstellar environment of several young stars in the recent past and there is evidence of silicon carbide (SiC) detection in the envelope of pre-main sequence star SVS13. In…
We present the first mid-IR long baseline interferometric observations of the circumstellar matter around binary post-AGB stars. Two objects, SX Cen and HD 52961, were observed using the VLTI/MIDI instrument during Science Demonstration…
An absorption feature is occasionally reported around 11 microns in astronomical spectra, including those of forming stars. Candidate carriers include water ice, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), silicon carbide, crystalline…
Studying absorption and scattering of X-ray radiation by interstellar dust grains allows us to access the physical and chemical properties of cosmic grains even in the densest regions of the Galaxy. We aim at characterising the dust…
We present a Spitzer Space Telescope spectroscopic survey of mass-losing carbon stars (and one oxygen-rich star) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra cover the wavelength range 5--38 micron. They show varying combinations of dust…
We investigated the emission of active galactic nuclei dusty tori in the infrared domain, with a focus on the 10 micron silicate feature. We modeled the dusty torus as a clumpy two-phase medium with high-density clumps and a low-density…
We present 5 to 15 micron Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) low resolution spectral data of a candidate debris disk around an M4.5 star identified as a likely member of the ~40 Myr old cluster NGC2547. The IRS spectrum shows a silicate…
We consider a small sample of oxygen-rich, asymptotic giant branch stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope, exhibiting a peculiar spectral energy distribution, which can be hardly explained by the common…
Hot accretion disks around massive protostars provide a unique opportunity to study ice-free silicate grains that cannot be investigated in protoplanetary disks. We conduct a self-consistent investigation into grain-size evolution and its…
We have used mid-infrared long-baseline interferometry with MIDI at the VLTI to resolve the circumstellar material around the Herbig Ae star HR 5999, providing the first direct measurement of its angular size, and to derive constraints on…
We interpret the interstellar extinction observed towards the Galactic Center (GC) in the wavelength range $\lambda = 1 - 20\,\mkm$. Its main feature is the flat extinction at $3 - 8\,\mkm$ whose explanation is still a problem for the…
We investigate the molecular and dusty environment of OH/IR stars in order to characterize the mass-loss process during the tip-AGB superwind phase. Employing the AMBER instrument at the VLT Interferometer we obtained near-infrared H- and…
The abundance of both amorphous and crystalline silicates in very small grains is limited by the fact that the 10 micron silicate emission feature is not detected in the diffuse ISM. On the basis of the observed IR emission spectrum for the…
We present a comprehensive study of the silicate features at 9.7 and 18 micron of a sample of almost 800 active galactic nuclei (AGN) with available spectra from the Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS). We measure the strength of the…
Disks around very low-mass stars (VLMS) provide environments for the formation of Earth-like planets. Mid-infrared observations have revealed that these disks exhibit weak silicate features and strong hydrocarbon emissions. This study…
We are investigating the formation and evolution of dust around the hydrogen-deficient supergiants known as R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars. We aim to determine the connection between the probable merger past of these stars and their current…
We study a group of evolved M-stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, characterized by a peculiar spectral energy distribution. While the $9.7~\mu$m feature arises from silicate particles, the whole infrared data seem to suggest the presence…
Recent ground-based mid-infrared spectra of 29 late-type stars, most with substantial dust shells, are compared to ground-based spectra of these stars from the 1960s and 1970s and to IRAS-LRS spectra obtained in 1983. The spectra of about…
We analyze the differences in infrared circumstellar dust emission between oxygen rich Mira and non-Mira stars, and find that they are statistically significant. In particular, we find that these stars segregate in the K-[12] vs. [12]-[25]…