Properties and evolution of dust grains in planetary nebulae

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/167906· OSTI ID:5126322

Lenzuni, P; Natta, A; Panagia, N ^[1]

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1. Firenze Universita, Florence (Italy) CNR, Centro per l'Astronomia Infrarossa e lo Studio del Mezzo Interstellare, Florence (Italy) Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA) Catania, Universita (Italy)

The IRAS data of 233 planetary nebulae (PNs) determining the properties of the dust contained in their envelopes have been analyzed. The main result is that the dust grains undergo substantial evolution during the lifetime of a PN. In particular, the grain size and the total dust mass decrease systematically with the nebular radius whereas the number of emitting grains increases. Two scenarios which can explain these results are discussed. A first possibility is that grains undergo processes which both erode and shatter them. It is argued that sputtering by fast atoms of a stellar wind and grain-grain collisions may plausibly produce such effects. Alernatively, the dust present in PNs may have a size distribution since the very beginning and large grains may be selectively destroyed during the PN evolution. 69 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5126322
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 345; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CATALOGS
COLLISIONS
COSMIC DUST
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DOCUMENT TYPES
DUSTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GRAIN SIZE
INFRARED RADIATION
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MASS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NEBULAE
PARTICLE SIZE
PLANETARY NEBULAE
RADIATIONS
SIZE
SPACE
STAR EVOLUTION
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS