Progress and Perspectives in Solid State Astrophysics from ISO to Herschel

Abstract

During the final stages of their evolution, stars with low to intermediate masses produce huge quantities -up to the order of earth masses per yearof dust grains. This production of solid particles is of crucial importance both for the physico-chemical conditions in the respective circumstellar environments and for the cosmic cycle of matter.The branch of astronomy dealing with cosmic dust -sometimes referred to as solid state astropyhsics -uses three principal methods: astronomical infrared spectroscopy, laboratory measurements of optical properties of solids and modelling the chemical and physical processes going on in the atmospheres of evolved stars.Considerable progress has been achieved, during the past decade, in solid state astropyhsics; specific questions have arisen which necessitate new, dedicated measurements and observations. Here we highlight some aspects of this progress and then proceed to outlining insights in this field which are about to be attained by means of new satellite facilities such as Spitzer and Herschel.

Optical constants of refractory oxides at high temperatures

“…Indeed, there is a narrow emission feature at 31.8 μm in many of the sources of the 13 μm band. Therefore, we show an average profile of this 31.8 μm band (according to Posch et al 2006) and compare it to the emissivity of hot spinel grains in Fig. 15.…”

Laboratory far-infrared spectroscopy of terrestrial sulphides to support analysis of cosmic dust spectra

“…Infrared (IR) emission spectra of such dust collected by space IR missions are useful for the identification of its mineral composition (e.g. Kemper et al 2002a,b; Chiavassa et al 2005; Chen et al 2006; Posch et al 2006; Mutschke et al 2008; Henning 2010).…”