A&A 429, 205-208 (2005)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20041365

Crystalline Mg SiO and amorphous Mg-bearing silicate grain formation by coalescence and growth

K. Kamitsuji¹, H. Suzuki¹, Y. Kimura², T. Sato¹, Y. Saito³ and C. Kaito<sup>1

1</sup>  Department of Nanophysics in Frontier Projects, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu-shi, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
    e-mail: rp007988@se.ritsumei.ac.jp
²  Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Code 691, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
³  Department of Electronics and Information Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan

(Received 28 May 2004 / Accepted 23 August 2004 )

Abstract
A novel method for producing MgO and SiO ₂ smokes was developed. Mg-bearing silicate grain formation using the coalescence and growth of MgO and SiO ₂ grains was carried out in our laboratory. It becomes evident that single and poly crystalline Mg ₂SiO ₄ (forsterite) and amorphous Mg-bearing silicate grains can be produced by the coalescence and growth of MgO and SiO ₂ grains. This result suggests that the observed crystalline Mg ₂SiO ₄ grains and amorphous Mg-bearing silicate particles in Red Super Giant (RSG), Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB), post-AGB and planetary nebula (PNe) could be produced by the coalescence and growth of MgO and SiO ₂ grains.

Key words: astrochemistry -- methods: laboratory -- stars: AGB and post-AGB -- circumstellar matter -- dust, extinction

© ESO 2004

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