The effect of catastrophic collisional fragmentation and diffuse medium accretion on a computational interstellar dust system

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168785· OSTI ID:6933081

Liffman, K ^[1]

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1. NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)

The effects of catastrophic collisional fragmentation and diffuse medium accretion on a the interstellar dust system are computed using a Monte Carlo computer model. The Monte Carlo code has as its basis an analytic solution of the bulk chemical evolution of a two-phase interstellar medium, described by Liffman and Clayton (1989). The model is subjected to numerous different interstellar processes as it transfers from one interstellar phase to another. Collisional fragmentation was found to be the dominant physical process that shapes the size spectrum of interstellar dust. It was found that, in the diffuse cloud phase, 90 percent of the refractory material is locked up in the dust grains, primarily due to accretion in the molecular medium. This result is consistent with the observed depletions of silicon. Depletions were found to be affected only slightly by diffuse cloud accretion. 42 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6933081
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 355; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCRETION DISKS
ASTROPHYSICS
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC DUST
COSMIC GASES
COSMOCHEMISTRY
DUSTS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GASES
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MOLECULES
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
PARTICLE SIZE
SHOCK WAVES
SIZE
SPACE
STARS
SUPERNOVAE
SYNTHESIS
TWO-PHASE FLOW
VARIABLE STARS