THE LACK OF CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE USE OF CLASSICAL NUCLEATION THEORY IN CIRCUMSTELLAR OUTFLOWS

Abstract

Classical nucleation theory (CNT) has been used in models of dust nucleation in circumstellar outflows around oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars. One objection to the application of CNT to astrophysical systems of this sort is that an equilibrium distribution of clusters (assumed by CNT) is unlikely to exist in such conditions due to a low collision rate of condensable species. A model of silicate grain nucleation and growth was modified to evaluate the effect of a nucleation flux orders of magnitude below the equilibrium value. The results show that a lack of chemical equilibrium has only a small effect on the ultimate grain distribution.