Experimental Demonstration of Condensation of Mg‐bearing Silicate Grains around Evolved Stars

Abstract

Mg-bearing silicate grains were produced directly from the vapor phase from magnesium and silicon oxide in a mixed atmosphere of Ar and O2 in the laboratory. It was found that the crystallinity, which was deduced from the shape of the 10 μm feature, of the grains depends on the ratio of magnesium to silicon oxide in the vapor phase. When the Mg/SiOx ratio was high, crystalline forsterite grains were produced owing to annealing of the silicate accompanied by large exothermic energy due to the oxidation of magnesium. The experimental result suggests that the crystallinity of circumstellar silicates could be determined by the balance between heat generation by magnesium oxidation and heat dissipation due to radiation. In this situation, later annealing of the silicate fraction or the use of a warm substrate for condensation of crystalline silicate is unnecessary. Crystalline silicates found in young stars are also able to be produced following our hypothesis after simultaneous evaporation of silicates and ices during energetic shocks in protostellar nebulae.