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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…
We discuss the rotational excitation of small interstellar grains and the resulting electric dipole radiation from spinning dust. Attention is given to excitation and damping of rotation by: collisions with neutrals; collisions with ions;…
The coexistence of a large variety of molecular species (i.e., aromatic, cycloaliphatic and aliphatic) in several astrophysical environments suggests that unidentified IR emission (UIE) occurs from small solid particles containing a mix of…
The carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) still remain an unknown commodity. Both dust and molecules have been suggested as carriers but none proposed have yet been able to explain the nature and the diversity of the DIBs.…
Observational study on near-infrared (IR) scattering properties of interstellar dust grains has been limited due to its faintness. Using all-sky maps obtained from Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE), we investigate the…
The interstellar medium is a key ingredient that governs star formation in galaxies. We present a detailed study of the infrared (~ 1-500 micron) spectral energy distributions of a large sample of 193 nearby (z ~ 0.088) luminous infrared…
Observations of interstellar gas-phase and solid-state species in the 2.4-200 micron range obtained with the spectrometers on board the Infrared Space Observatory are reviewed. Lines and bands due to ices, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,…
It has been more than 30 years since the enigmatic 21 {\mu}m emission feature was first discovered in protoplanetary nebulae (PPNs). Although dozens of different dust carrier candidates have been proposed, there is as yet no widely accepted…
The past century of interstellar dust has brought us from first ignoring it to finding that it plays an important role in the evolution of galaxies. Current observational results in our galaxy provide a complex physical and chemical…
A study of gas-phase element abundances reported in the literature for 17 different elements sampled over 243 sight lines in the local part of our Galaxy reveals that the depletions into solid form (dust grains) are extremely well…
Interstellar dust shows ubiquitous interstellar infrared spectrum (IR) due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). By our previous quantum chemistry calculation, it was suggested that a molecule group having hydrocarbon pentagon-hexagon…
Infrared surveys provide essential insights on galaxy evolution. If near-IR studies suggest mild evolution of stellar populations with cosmic time, indications of a substantial evolution have been seen in the far-IR, although the available…
Silicon nanoparticles (SNPs) have been proposed as the source of the observed "extended red emission" (ERE) from interstellar dust. We calculate the thermal emission expected from such particles in a reflection nebula such as NGC 2023, and…
The interstellar medium (ISM) has a multiphase structure characterized by gas, dust and molecules. The gas can be found in different charge states: neutral, low-ionized (warm) and high-ionized (hot). It is possible to probe the multiphase…
We investigate the effects on extrasolar giant planets [EGPs] of intense irradiation by their parent stars, describing the issues involved in treating the model atmosphere problem correctly. We treat the radiative transfer in detail,…
Understanding the chemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM) is fundamental for the comprehension of the Galactic and stellar evolution. X-rays provide an excellent way to study the dust chemical composition and crystallinity along…
We present a Spitzer Space Telescope spectroscopic study of a sample of 25 planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds. The low-resolution modules are used to analyze the dust features present in the infrared spectra. This study complements…
Spitzer 'hidden' observations of the background are used to construct a catalog of 4,090 spectra and examine the signature of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules and their connection to extinction by dust. A strong positive…
We present Spitzer/IRS observations of a small sample of heavily obscured IRAS sources displaying both the infrared and OH maser emission characteristic of OH/IR stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), but also radio continuum emission…
Contemporary interstellar dust has never been analyzed in the laboratory, despite its obvious astronomical importance and its potential as a probe of stellar nucleosynthesis and galactic chemical evolution. Here we report the discovery of a…