Related papers: Grain Nucleation Experiments and Other Laboratory …
Dust is formed in the expanding atmosphere during late stages of stellar evolution. Dust influences the dynamics and thermodynamics of the stellar atmosphere by its opacity. The dust opacity depends both on the optical properties of the…
It is commonly believed that winds of cool giants in their late evolutionary stages are driven by radiative pressure on dust grains, but the actual grain species responsible for driving winds of M-type AGB stars are still a matter of debate…
Nanometer- and micrometer-sized solid particles play an important role in the evolutionary cycle of stars and interstellar matter. The optical properties of cosmic grains determine the interaction of the radiation field with the solids,…
We present self-consistent dynamical models for dust-driven winds of carbon-rich AGB stars. The models are based on the coupled system of frequency-dependent radiation hydrodynamics and time-dependent dust formation. We investigate in…
Dust grains play a central role in the physics and chemistry of cosmic environments. They influence the optical and thermal properties of the medium due to their interaction with stellar radiation; provide surfaces for the chemical…
We are currently studying carbon based dust types of relevance for carbon-rich AGB stars, to obtain a better understanding of the influence of the optical and chemical properties of the grains on the mass loss of the star. An investigation…
We present self-consistent dynamical models for dust driven winds of carbon-rich AGB stars. The models are based on the coupled system of frequency-dependent radiation hydrodynamics and time-dependent dust formation. We investigate in…
The properties and the evolution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are strongly influenced by their mass loss through a stellar wind. This is believed to be caused by radiation pressure due to the absorption and scattering of the…
Winds of AGB stars are thought to be driven by a combination of pulsation-induced shock waves and radiation pressure on dust. In dynamic atmosphere and wind models, the stellar pulsation is often simulated by prescribing a simple sinusoidal…
There is a long-standing discussion in the astrophysical/astrochemical community as to the structure and morphology of dust grains in various astrophysical environments (e.g., interstellar clouds, protostellar envelopes, protoplanetary and…
For amorphous carbon several laboratory extinction data are available, which show quite a wide range of differences due to the structural complexity of this material. We have calculated self-consistent dynamic models of circumstellar…
Presence of dust in galaxies removes half or more of the stellar energy from the UV-optical budget of the Universe and has profound impact on our understanding of how galaxies evolve. Measures of opacity in local galaxies are reviewed…
Cool luminous giants, in particular asymptotic giant branch stars, are among the most important sources of cosmic dust. Their extended dynamical atmospheres are places where grains form and initiate outflows driven by radiation pressure,…
We aim to constrain the dust mass and grain sizes in the interaction regions between the stellar winds and the ISM around asymptotic giant branch stars. By describing the dust in these regions, we aim to shed light on the role of low mass…
Mass loss through stellar winds governs the evolution of stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). In the case of carbon-rich AGB stars, the wind is believed to be driven by radiation pressure on amorphous carbon (amC) dust forming in the…
We compare observations of AGB stars and predictions of the Elitzur & Ivezic (2001) steady-state radiatively driven dusty wind model. The model results are described by a set of similarity functions of a single independent variable, and…
Convection and mass loss by stellar winds are two dynamical processes that shape asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and their evolution. Observations and earlier 3D models indicate that giant convection cells cause high-contrast surface…
This article gives an overview of the constitution, physical conditions and observables of dust in the interstellar medium of nearby galaxies. We first review the macroscopic, spatial distribution of dust in these objects, and its…
The dust grain size distribution (GSD) likely varies significantly across star-forming environments in the Universe, but its impact on star formation remains unclear. This ambiguity arises because the GSD interacts non-linearly with…
The optical and magnetic properties of dust grains are reviewed, as they relate to the problem of interstellar grain alignment. Grain geometry plays an important role in determining the optical properties, and scattering and absorption of…