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Main Authors: Rouillé, Gaël, Schmitt, Johannes, Jäger, Cornelia, Henning, Thomas
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.16925
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_version_ 1866914789276516352
author Rouillé, Gaël
Schmitt, Johannes
Jäger, Cornelia
Henning, Thomas
author_facet Rouillé, Gaël
Schmitt, Johannes
Jäger, Cornelia
Henning, Thomas
contents Reports on the detection of carbonates in planetary nebulae (PNe) and protostars suggested the existence of a mechanism that produce these compounds in stellar winds and outflows. A consecutive laboratory study reported a possible mechanism by observing the non-thermodynamic equilibrium (TE), gas-phase condensation of amorphous silicate grains with amorphous calcium carbonate inclusions. It concluded that water vapor was necessary to the formation of the carbonates. We present a laboratory study with pulsed laser ablation of an MgSi target in O$_2$ and CO$_2$ gases and report, in the absence of water vapor, the non-TE, gas-phase condensation of amorphous carbonated magnesium silicate dust. It consists of amorphous silicate grains with formula MgSiO$_3$ that comprise carbonate groups homogeneously dispersed in their structure. The infrared spectra of the grains show the characteristic bands of amorphous silicates and two bands at $\sim$6.3 and $\sim$7.0 $μ$m that we assign to the carbonate groups. The silicate bands are not significantly affected at an estimated Si:C ratio of 9:1 to 9:2. Such grains could form in winds and outflows of evolved stars and PNe if C atoms are present during silicate condensation. Additionally, we find that Lyman-$α$ radiation dissociates the carbonate groups at the surface of the carbonated silicate grains and we estimate the corresponding photodissociation cross section of (0.04 $\pm$ 0.02) $\times$ 10$^{-16}$ cm$^2$. Therefore, photodissociation would limit the formation of carbonate groups on grains in winds and outflows of stars emitting VUV photons and the carbonates observed in protostars have not formed by gas-phase condensation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_16925
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Gas-phase condensation of carbonated silicate grains
Rouillé, Gaël
Schmitt, Johannes
Jäger, Cornelia
Henning, Thomas
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Materials Science
Reports on the detection of carbonates in planetary nebulae (PNe) and protostars suggested the existence of a mechanism that produce these compounds in stellar winds and outflows. A consecutive laboratory study reported a possible mechanism by observing the non-thermodynamic equilibrium (TE), gas-phase condensation of amorphous silicate grains with amorphous calcium carbonate inclusions. It concluded that water vapor was necessary to the formation of the carbonates. We present a laboratory study with pulsed laser ablation of an MgSi target in O$_2$ and CO$_2$ gases and report, in the absence of water vapor, the non-TE, gas-phase condensation of amorphous carbonated magnesium silicate dust. It consists of amorphous silicate grains with formula MgSiO$_3$ that comprise carbonate groups homogeneously dispersed in their structure. The infrared spectra of the grains show the characteristic bands of amorphous silicates and two bands at $\sim$6.3 and $\sim$7.0 $μ$m that we assign to the carbonate groups. The silicate bands are not significantly affected at an estimated Si:C ratio of 9:1 to 9:2. Such grains could form in winds and outflows of evolved stars and PNe if C atoms are present during silicate condensation. Additionally, we find that Lyman-$α$ radiation dissociates the carbonate groups at the surface of the carbonated silicate grains and we estimate the corresponding photodissociation cross section of (0.04 $\pm$ 0.02) $\times$ 10$^{-16}$ cm$^2$. Therefore, photodissociation would limit the formation of carbonate groups on grains in winds and outflows of stars emitting VUV photons and the carbonates observed in protostars have not formed by gas-phase condensation.
title Gas-phase condensation of carbonated silicate grains
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.16925