Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21430106k&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #214, #301.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.714
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Laboratory experiments suggest that magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) grains could be produced in the hydrogen dominant gas outflow from evolved stars in addition to amorphous oxide minerals.
Astronomical observations have shown the existence of abundant silicate grains around evolved stars and we have long realized that most of the silicate grains are amorphous, based on the observed infrared features. Only high mass loss stars show the feature attributed to magnesium-rich crystalline silicate about 10-20 % respect to total silicates, so far. The lower degree of crystallinity observed in silicates formed in outflows of lower mass-loss-rate stars might be caused by the formation of magnesium silicide in this relatively hydrogen-rich environment. As a result of predominant distribution of magnesium into the silicide, the composition of interstellar amorphous silicates could be magnesium poor compared with silicon. Indeed, the chemical composition of isotopically anomalous GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfides) is magnesium poor with respect to a forsteritic composition (Floss et al. 2006; Keller & Messenger 2007). Infrared observations suggest that there is little or no crystalline forsterite in interstellar environments while there is an abundance of crystalline forsterite in our Solar System. If the forsterite is a result of the oxidation of interstellar magnesium silicide, then it is clear both why crystalline forsterite is stoichiometric olivine and why the chemical composition of isotopically anomalous GEMS is magnesium poor with respect to a forsteritic composition. In addition, it may also explain why the chemical composition of olivine is iron poor.
Unfortunately, magnesium silicide has never been detected via astronomical observation or in the analysis of primitive meteorites. I would suggest that future analysis of meteorites and theoretical calculations could confirm the possibility of the formation of magnesium silicide grains around evolved stars.
Kimura Yuki
Nuth Joseph Andrew III
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