Constraining the Composition of Oxygen-rich Circumstellar Dust

DDr. Thomas Posch

(Institut für Astronomie Universität Wien, Österreich)

Donnerstag/Thursday, 2008-6-26 10:15, EW 114

Eugene-Paul-Wigner Gebäude (Physik-Neubau), Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin

Abstract

Pulsating red giant stars are known to form solid particles (dust grains) in huge quantities -- up to about one terrestrial mass per star per year. Stars with C/O ratios smaller than unity are able to produce a manifold of oxygen-rich minerals and glasses (amorphous solids). The present talk aims at a summary of constraints that can be set on the composition of these dust grains, based on recent infrared spectroscopic studies, on examinations of presolar grains and on simple stellar wind models.