2009
Ref: ASTROimport-494

Dust Formation in a Galaxy with Primitive Abundances

Sloan, G. C. ; Matsuura, M. ; Zijlstra, A. A. ; Lagadec, E. ; Groenewegen, M. A. T. ; Wood, P. R. ; Szyszka, C. ; Bernard-Salas, J. ; van Loon, J. T.


published in Science, 323, pp. 353 (2009)

Abstract: Interstellar dust plays a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies. It governs the chemistry and physics of the interstellar medium. In the local universe, dust forms primarily in the ejecta from stars, but its composition and origin in galaxies at very early times remain controversial. We report observational evidence of dust forming around a carbon star in a nearby galaxy with a low abundance of heavy elements, 25 times lower than the solar abundance. The production of dust by a carbon star in a galaxy with such primitive abundances raises the possibility that carbon stars contributed carbonaceous dust in the early universe.

DOI: 10.1126/science.1165626
Links: link


The record appears in these collections:
Royal Observatory of Belgium > Astronomy & Astrophysics
Science Articles > Peer Reviewed Articles



 Record created 2016-07-01, last modified 2016-07-01