The evolution of dust particles in dense clouds

Abstract

The formation and destruction of (refractory organic mantles on) dust particles in molecular clouds is discussed. We examine the principle processes that determine the nature of the dust recycled to the diffuse interstellar medium by molecular clouds. The impact of grain processing in dense clouds on the dust content of galaxies is considered with respect to the compound structure and composition of the dust present in the Galactic disk and the Magellanic Clouds.