Dust Evolution Research Articles

Radial properties of dust in galaxies: Comparison between observations and isolated galaxy simulations

We study the importance of several processes that influence the evolution of dust and its grain size distribution on spatially resolved scales in nearby galaxies. Here, we compiled several multi-wavelength observations for the nearby galaxies NGC\,628 (M74), NGC\,5457 (M101), NGC\,598 (M33), and NGC 300. We applied spatially resolved spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to the latest iteration of infrared data to get constraints on the galaxy dust masses and the small-to-large grain abundance ratio (SLR). We separated each galaxy into radial rings and obtained the radial profiles of the properties mentioned above. For comparison, we took the radial profiles of the stellar mass and gas mass surface density for NGC\,628 combined with its metallicity gradient in the literature to calibrate a single-galaxy simulation using the GADGET4-OSAKA code. The simulations include a parametrization to separate the dense and diffuse phases of the ISM where different dust-evolution mechanisms are in action. We find that our simulation can reproduce the radial profile of dust mass surface density but overestimates the SLR in NGC\,628. Changing the dust-accretion timescale has little impact on the dust mass or SLR, as most of the available metals are accreted onto dust grains at early times ($<3$\,Gyr), except in the outer regions of the galaxy where the metallicity is below $2 $. This suggests we can only constrain the accretion timescale of galaxies at extremely low metallicities where accretion still competes with other mechanisms controlling the dust budget. The overestimation of the SLR likely results from (i) overly efficient shattering processes in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), which were calibrated to reproduce Milky Way-type galaxies and/or (ii) our use of a diffuse and dense gas density subgrid model that does not entirely capture the intricacies of the small-scale structure present in NGC\,628. We conclude that future modeling efforts will need to focus on improving the subgrid recipes to mimic the multi-phase gas distribution in galaxies before the efficiency of dust evolution processes can be calibrated for galaxies other than the Milky Way.

The spatially resolved relation between dust, gas, and metal abundance with the TYPHOON survey

Abstract We present the spatially resolved relationship between the dust-to-gas mass ratio (DGR) and gas-phase metallicity (Zgas or 12+log(O/H)) (i.e., DGR–Zgas relation) of 11 nearby galaxies with a large metallicity range (1.5 dex of 12+log(O/H)) at (sub-)kpc scales. We used the large field-of-view (≳ 3′) optical pseudo-Integral Field Spectroscopy data taken by the TYPHOON/PrISM survey, covering the optical size of galaxies, combining them with multi-wavelength data (far-UV to far-IR, CO, and H i 21 cm radio). A large scatter of DGR in the intermediate metallicity galaxies (8.0 < 12+log(O/H)< 8.3) is found, which is in line with dust evolution models, where grain growth begins to dominate the mechanism of dust mass accumulation. In the lowest metallicity galaxy of our sample, Sextans A (12+log(O/H)< 7.6), the star-forming regions have significantly higher DGR values (by 0.5–2 dex) than the global estimates from literature at the same metallicity but aligns with the DGR values from metal depletion method from Damped Lyman Alpha systems and high hydrogen gas density regions of Sextans A. Using dust evolution models with a Bayesian MCMC approach suggests: 1) a high SN dust yield and 2) a negligible amount of photofragmentation by UV radiation, although we note that our sample in the low-metallicity regime is limited to Sextans A. On the other hand, it is also possible that while metallicity influences DGR, gas density also plays a role, indicating an early onset of dust grain growth in the dust mass build-up process despite its low metallicity.

Dust Survival in Galactic Winds

We present a suite of high-resolution numerical simulations to study the evolution and survival of dust in hot galactic winds. We implement a novel dust framework in the Cholla hydrodynamics code and use wind tunnel simulations of cool, dusty clouds to understand how thermal sputtering affects the dust content of galactic winds. Our simulations illustrate how various regimes of cloud evolution impact dust survival, dependent on cloud size, wind properties, and dust grain size. We find that significant amounts of dust can survive in winds in all scenarios, even without shielding from the cool phase of outflows. We present an analytic framework that explains this result, along with an analysis of the impact of cloud evolution on the total fraction of dust survival. Using these results, we estimate that 60% of 0.1 μm dust that enters a starburst-driven wind could survive to populate both the hot and cool phases of the halo, based on a simulated distribution of cloud properties. We also investigate how these conclusions depend on grain size, exploring grains from 0.1 μm to 10 Å. Under most circumstances, grains smaller than 0.01 μm cannot withstand hot-phase exposure, suggesting that the small grains observed in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) are either formed in situ due to the shattering of larger grains, or must be carried there in the cool phase of outflows. Finally, we show that the dust-to-gas ratio of clouds declines as a function of distance from the galaxy due to cloud–wind mixing and condensation. These results provide an explanation for the vast amounts of dust observed in the CGMs of galaxies and beyond.

Legacy of aerosol radiative effect predominates daytime dust loading evolution

Dust radiative effect imposes pronounced perturbations on planetary boundary layer (PBL) development. In turn, the modified PBL characteristics and circulation fields regulate subsequent dust processes, which have not been explored sufficiently. In this study, parallel experiments are designed to isolate the instant, legacy and nonlinear impacts of aerosol radiative effect on daytime dust storm evolution over the Tarim Basin. During a typical dust storm event, legacy radiative effect is found to dominate dust loading dynamics and modulates mean dust burden by more than 16 % in the central basin and − 41 % in the marginal basin. Specifically, the dust column concentration increases in central regions but decreases in marginal regions. Dust aerosols cause opposite heating rate distributions and PBL structure between the central and marginal regions through altering radiative balance. Dust-induced cooling effect in the marginal regions leads to PBL suppression and attenuates entrainment mixing. Negative net heating also results in lowered potential temperature, elevated air pressure and thus increases their horizontal gradients. Accordingly, wind speeds are amplified through geostrophic and thermal wind effects, which further accelerate deposition rates, and eventually weaken dust suspension. In the central basin, dust plumes stimulate a warm mixing layer and unstable entrainment zone, which inhibit dry deposition removal and favor dust accumulation in the atmosphere. Our study highlights the importance of accounting PBL dynamics and geostrophic balance in quantifying the impacts of preceding radiative effect on subsequent dust evolution.

Dust evolution during a protostellar collapse: Influence on the coupling between the neutral gas and magnetic field

Context. The extent of the coupling between the magnetic field and the gas during the collapsing phase of star-forming cores is strongly affected by the dust size distribution, which is expected to evolve by means of coagulation, fragmentation, and other collision outcomes. Aims. We aim to investigate the influence of key parameters on the evolution of the dust distribution, as well as on the magnetic resistivities during protostellar collapse. Methods. We performed a set of collapsing single-zone simulations with shark. The code computes the evolution of the dust distribution, accounting for different grain growth and destruction processes, with the grain collisions being driven by brownian motion, turbulence, and ambipolar drift. It also computes the charges carried by each grain species and the ion and electron densities, as well as the magnetic resistivities. Results. We find that the dust distribution significantly evolves during the protostellar collapse, shaping the magnetic resistivities. The peak size of the distribution, population of small grains, and, consequently, the magnetic resistivities are controlled by both coagulation and fragmentation rates. Under standard assumptions, the small grains coagulate very early as they collide by ambipolar drift, yielding magnetic resistivities that are many orders of magnitude apart from the non-evolving dust case. In particular, the ambipolar resistivity, ηAD, is very high prior to nH = 1010 cm−3. As a consequence, magnetic braking is expected to be ineffective. In this case, large size protoplanetary discs should result, which is inconsistent with recent observations. To alleviate this tension, we identified mechanisms that are capable of reducing the ambipolar resistivity during the ensuing protostellar collapse. Among them, electrostatic repulsion and grain-grain erosion feature as the most promising approaches. Conclusions. The evolution of the magnetic resistivities during the protostellar collapse and consequently the shape of the magnetic field in the early life of the protoplanetary disc strongly depends on the possibility to repopulate the small grains or to prevent their early coagulation. Therefore, it is crucial to better constrain the collision outcomes and the dust grain’s elastic properties, especially the grain’s surface energy based on both theoretical and experimental approaches.

Tracing the History of Obscured Star Formation with the SIMBA Cosmological Galaxy Evolution Simulation

We explore the cosmic evolution of the fraction of dust-obscured star formation predicted by the simba cosmological hydrodynamic simulations featuring an on-the-fly model for dust formation, evolution, and destruction. We find that up to z = 3, our results are broadly consistent with previous observational results of little to no evolution in obscured star formation. However, at z > 3 we find strong evolution at fixed galaxy stellar mass toward greater amounts of obscured star formation, in tension with high-redshift observations. We explain the trend of increasing obscuration at higher redshifts by evolving star-dust geometry, as the dust-to-stellar mass ratios remain relatively constant across cosmic time. We additionally see that at a fixed redshift, more massive galaxies have a higher fraction of their star formation obscured, which is explained by increased dust-to-stellar mass ratios at higher stellar masses. Finally, we estimate the contribution of dust-obscured star formation to the total star formation rate budget and find that the dust-obscured star formation history peaks around z ∼ 2−3, and becomes subdominant at z ≳ 5. The dominance of obscured star formation at redshifts z ≲ 4 is consistent with our results for the evolution of the obscured star formation fraction at fixed stellar mass to higher values at higher redshift because there exist fewer massive, heavily obscured galaxies at high redshift.

Dust Growth and Evolution in Protoplanetary Disks

Over the past decade, advancement of observational capabilities, specifically the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instruments, alongside theoretical innovations like pebble accretion, have reshaped our understanding of planet formation and the physics of protoplanetary disks. Despite this progress, mysteries persist along the winded path of micrometer-sized dust, from the interstellar medium, through transport and growth in the protoplanetary disk, to becoming gravitationally bound bodies. This review outlines our current knowledge of dust evolution in circumstellar disks, yielding the following insights: ▪Theoretical and laboratory studies have accurately predicted the growth of dust particles to sizes that are susceptible to accumulation through transport processes like radial drift and settling.▪Critical uncertainties in that process remain the level of turbulence, the threshold collision velocities at which dust growth stalls, and the evolution of dust porosity.▪Symmetric and asymmetric substructures are widespread. Dust traps appear to be solving several long-standing issues in planet formation models, and they are observationally consistent with being sites of active planetesimal formation.▪In some instances, planets have been identified as the causes behind substructures. This underlines the need to study earlier stages of disks to understand how planets can form so rapidly. In the future, better probes of the physical conditions in optically thick regions, including densities, turbulence strength, kinematics, and particle properties, will be essential for unraveling the physical processes at play.

Time Evolution Images of the Hypergiant RW Cephei during the Rebrightening Phase Following the Great Dimming

Stars with initial masses larger than 8 M ⊙ undergo substantial mass loss through mechanisms that remain elusive. Unraveling the origins of this mass loss is important for comprehending the evolutionary path of these stars, the type of supernova explosion, and whether they become neutron stars or black hole remnants. In 2022 December, RW Cep experienced the Great Dimming in its visible brightness, presenting a unique opportunity to understand mass-loss mechanisms. Our previous observations of RW Cep from the CHARA Array, taken during the dimming phase, show a compelling asymmetry in the star images, with a darker zone on the west side of the star indicating the presence of dust in front of the star in our line of sight. Here, we present multiepoch observations from CHARA while the star rebrightened in 2023. We created images using three image reconstruction methods and an analytical model fit. Comparisons of images acquired during the dimming and rebrightening phases reveal remarkable differences. Specifically, the west side of RW Cep, initially obscured during the dimming phase, reappeared during the subsequent rebrightening phase, and the measured angular diameter became larger by 8%. We also observed image changes from epoch to epoch while the star is brightening, indicating the time evolution of dust in front of the star. We suggest that the dimming of RW Cep was a result of a recent surface mass ejection event, generating a dust cloud that partially obstructed the stellar photosphere.

Compaction during fragmentation and bouncing produces realistic dust grain porosities in protoplanetary discs

Context. In protoplanetary discs, micron-sized dust grows to form millimetre- to centimetre-sized pebbles but encounters several barriers during its evolution. Collisional fragmentation and radial drift impede further dust growth to planetesimal size. Fluffy grains have been hypothesised to solve these problems. While porosity leads to faster grain growth, the implied porosity values obtained from previous simulations were larger than suggested by observations. Aims. In this paper, we study the influence of porosity on dust evolution, taking into account growth, bouncing, fragmentation, compaction, rotational disruption, and snow lines, in order to understand their impact on dust evolution. Methods. We developed a module for porosity evolution for the 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics code PHANTOM that accounts for dust growth and fragmentation. This mono-disperse model is integrated into both a 1D code and the 3D code to capture the overall evolution of dust and gas. Results. We show that porosity helps dust growth and leads to the formation of larger solids than when considering compact grains, as predicted by previous work. Our simulations taking into account compaction during fragmentation show that large millimetre grains are still formed but are ten to 100 times more compact. Thus, millimetre sizes with typical filling factors of ~0.1 match the values measured on comets or via polarimetric observations of protoplanetary discs.

Observational signatures of the dust size evolution in isolated galaxy simulations

We aim to provide observational signatures of the dust size evolution in the interstellar medium (ISM). In particular, we explore indicators of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mass fraction ($q_ PAH $), defined as the mass fraction of PAHs relative to the total dust grains. In addition, we validate our dust evolution model by comparing the observational signatures from our simulations to observations. We used the hydrodynamic simulation code, GADGET4-OSAKA to model the dust properties of Milky Way-like and NGC 628-like galaxies representing star-forming galaxies. This code incorporates the evolution of grain size distributions driven by dust production and interstellar processing. Furthermore, we performed post-processing dust radiative transfer calculations with SKIRT based on the hydrodynamic simulations to predict the observational properties of the simulations. We find that the intensity ratio between 8 um and 24 um ($I_ nu um )/I_ nu um )$) is correlated with $q_ PAH $ and can be used as an indicator of the PAH mass fraction. However, this ratio is influenced by the local radiation field. We suggest the 8 um -to-total infrared intensity ratio ($ I_ nu um )/ I_ TIR $) as another indicator of the PAH mass fraction, since it is tightly correlated with the PAH mass fraction. Furthermore, we explored the spatially resolved evolutionary properties of the PAH mass fraction in the simulated Milky Way-like galaxy using $ I_ nu um )/ I_ TIR $. We find that the spatially resolved PAH mass fraction increases with metallicity at $Z due to the interplay between accretion and shattering, whereas it decreases at $Z because of coagulation. Also, coagulation decreases the PAH mass fraction in regions with a high hydrogen surface density. Finally, we compared the above indicators in the NGC 628-like simulation with those observed in NGC 628 by Herschel Spitzer and JWST . Consequently, we find that our simulation underestimates the PAH mass fraction throughout the entire galaxy by a factor of $ 8$ on average. This could be due to the efficient loss of PAHs by coagulation in our model, suggesting that our treatment of PAHs in dense regions needs to be improved.

A phenomenological study of the evolution of shock-induced O i emission lines in the spectrum of nova V2891 Cygni

ABSTRACT The eruption of Nova V2891 Cygni in 2019 offers a rare opportunity to explore the shock-induced processes in novae ejecta. The spectral evolution shows noticeable differences in the evolution of various oxygen emission lines such as O i 7773 Å, O i 8446 Å, O i 1.1286 μm, O i 1.3164 μm, etc. Here, we use spectral synthesis code cloudy to study the temporal evolution of these oxygen emission lines. Our photoionization model requires the introduction of a component with a very high density ($n \sim 10^{11}$ cm$^{-3}$) and an enhanced oxygen abundance (O/H $\sim$ 28) to produce the O i 7773 Å emission line, suggesting a stratification of material with high oxygen abundance within the ejecta. An important outcome is the behaviour of the O i 1.3164 μm line, which could only be generated by invoking the collisional ionization models in cloudy. Our phenomenological analysis suggests that O i 1.3164 μm emission originates from a thin, dense shell characterized by a high density of about $10^{12.5}\!-\!10^{12.8}$ cm$^{-3}$, which is most likely formed due to the strong internal collisions. If such is the case, the O i 1.3164 μm emission presents itself as a tracer of shock-induced dust formation in V2891 Cyg. The collisional ionization models have also been successful in creating the high-temperature conditions ($\sim 7.07\!-\!7.49 \times 10^5$ K) required to reproduce the observed high ionization potential coronal lines, which coincide with the epoch of dust formation and evolution of the O i 1.3164 μm emission line.

Inner dusty regions of protoplanetary discs – III. The role of non-radial radiation pressure in dust dynamics

ABSTRACT We explore the dynamical behaviour of dust particles that populate the surface of inner optically thick protoplanetary discs. This is a disc region with the hottest dust and is of a great importance for planet formation and dust evolution, but we still struggle to understand all the forces that shape this environment. In our approach, we combine results from two separate numerical studies, one is the wind velocity and density distributions obtained from magnetohydrodynamical simulations of accretion discs, and the other is a high-resolution multigrain dust radiation transfer. In our previous paper in the series, we described the methodology for utilizing these results as an environmental input for the integration of dust trajectories driven by gravity, gas drag, and radiation pressure. Now we have two improvements, we incorporate time changes in the wind density and velocity, and we implement the non-radial radiation pressure force. We applied our analysis on the Herbig Ae and T Tau stars. We confirm that the radiation pressure force can lead to dust outflow, especially in the case of more luminous stars. Additionally, it opposes dust accretion at the inner disc edge and reduces dust settling. These effects are enhanced by the disc wind, especially in the zone where the stellar and the disc magnetic fields meet. Our results suggest that dust grains can stay in the hottest disc region for an extended period and then end up ejected into the outer disc regions.

Constraints on PDS 70 b and c from the dust continuum emission of the circumplanetary discs considering in situ dust evolution

Context. The young T Tauri star PDS 70 has two gas accreting planets sharing one large gap in a pre-transitional disc. Dust continuum emission from PDS 70 c has been detected by Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Band 7, considered as the evidence of a circumplanetary disc. However, there has been no detection of the dust emission from the CPD of PDS 70 b. Aims. We constrain the planet mass and the gas accretion rate of the planets by introducing a model of dust evolution in the CPDs and reproducing the detection and non-detection of the dust emission. Methods. We first develop a 1D steady gas disc model of the CPDs reflecting the planet properties. We then calculate the radial distribution of the dust profiles considering the dust evolution in the gas disc and calculate the total flux density of dust thermal emission from the CPDs. Results. We find positive correlations between the flux density of dust emission and three planet properties, the planet mass, gas accretion rate, and their product called ‘MMdot’. We then find that the MMdot of PDS 70 c is ≥4 × 10−7 MJ2 yr−1, corresponding to the planet mass of ≥5 MJ and the gas accretion rate of ≥2 × 10−8 MJ yr−1. This is the first case to succeed in obtaining constraints on planet properties from the flux density of dust continuum emission from a CPD. We also find some loose constraints on the properties of PDS 70 b from the non-detection of its dust emission. Conclusions. We propose possible scenarios for PDS 70 b and c explaining the non-detection respectively detection of the dust emission from their CPDs. The first explanation is that planet c has larger planet mass, larger gas accretion rate, or both than planet b. The other possibility is that the CPD of planet c has a larger amount of dust supply, weaker turbulence, or both than that of planet b. If the dust supply to planet c is larger than b due to its closeness to the outer dust ring, it is also quantitatively consistent with that planet c has weaker Hα line emission than planet b considering the dust extinction effect.

Galaxies with grains: unraveling dust evolution and extinction curves with hydrodynamical simulations

Dust in galaxies is an important tracer of galaxy properties and their evolution over time. The physical origin of the grain size distribution, the dust chemical composition, and, hence, the associated ultraviolet-to-optical extinctions in diverse galaxies remains elusive. To address this issue, we introduce a model for dust evolution in the RAMSES code for simulations of galaxies with a resolved multiphase interstellar medium. Dust is modelled as a fluid transported with the gas component, and is decomposed into two sizes, 5 nm and 0.1 μm, and two chemical compositions for carbonaceous and silicate grains. This dust model includes the growth of dust by accretion of elements from the gas phase and by the release of dust in stellar ejecta, the destruction by thermal sputtering, supernovae, and astration, and the exchange of dust mass between the two main populations of grain sizes by coagulation and shattering. Using a suite of isolated disc simulations with different masses and metallicities, the simulations can explore the role of these processes in shaping the key properties of dust in galaxies. The simulated Milky Way analogue reproduces the dust-to-metal mass ratio, depletion factors, size distribution and extinction curves of the Milky Way. Galaxies with lower metallicities reproduce the observed decrease in the dust-to-metal mass ratio with metallicity at around a few 0.1 Z⊙. This break in the dust-to-metal ratio corresponds to a galactic gas metallicity threshold that marks the transition from an ejecta-dominated to an accretion-dominated grain growth, and that is different for silicate and carbonaceous grains, with ≃0.1 Z⊙ and ≃0.5 Z⊙ respectively. This leads to more Magellanic Cloud-like extinction curves, i.e. with steeper slopes in the ultraviolet and a weaker bump feature at 2175 Å, in galaxies with lower masses and lower metallicities. Steeper slopes in these galaxies are caused by the combination of the higher efficiency of gas accretion by silicate relative to carbonaceous grains and by the low rates of coagulation that preserves the amount of small silicate grains. Weak bumps are due to the overall inefficient accretion growth of carbonaceous dust at low metallicity, whose growth is mostly supported by the release of large grains in SN ejecta. We also show that the formation of CO molecules is a key component to limit the ability of carbonaceous dust to grow, in particular in low-metallicity gas-rich galaxies.

Impact analysis of dust evolution pattern and determination of key ventilation parameters in highland highway construction tunnels

In order to study the influence of ventilation parameters on the ventilation of plateau highway construction tunnels, a highway tunnel construction section in Yunnan is taken as the research background, and Fluent software is used for simulation. The results of the study show that: under the conditions of press-in ventilation, the wind speed in the center of the vortex area in the wind flow field is smaller than the wind speed in the surrounding area, and with the diffusion of the flow field, the average wind speed in the tunnel section gradually decreases, and ultimately stabilizes at the level of 0.5 m/s. After blasting, the dust mass concentration on the return side of the tunnel is higher than that on the duct side. Dust with a particle size of 30 μm or more settled rapidly within 100 m from the boring face, while dust with a particle size of 30 μm or less gradually diffused outward under the action of the wind flow. In the vicinity of the tunnel boring face, reducing the distance from the air outlet to the boring face and increasing the air velocity can improve the dust removal effect. This conclusion can provide theoretical basis and certain guidance for the evolution of dust and dust prevention in the tunnel construction process in plateau area.

Vertical shear instability with dust evolution and consistent cooling times

Context. Gas in protoplanetary disks mostly cools via thermal accommodation with dust particles. Thermal relaxation is thus highly sensitive to the local dust size distributions and the spatial distribution of the grains. So far, the interplay between thermal relaxation and gas turbulence has not been dynamically modeled in hydrodynamic simulations of protoplanetary disks with dust. Aims. We aim to study the effects of the vertical shear instability (VSI) on the thermal relaxation times, and vice versa. We are particularly interested in the influence of the initial dust grain size on the VSI and whether the emerging turbulence is sustained over long timescales. Methods. We ran three axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of a protoplanetary disk including four dust fluids that initially resemble MRN size distributions of different initial grain sizes. From the local dust densities, we calculated the thermal accommodation timescale of dust and gas and used the result as the thermal relaxation time of the gas in our simulation. We included the effect of dust growth by applying the monodisperse dust growth rate and the typical growth limits. Results. We find that the emergence of the VSI is strongly dependent on the initial dust grain size. Coagulation also counteracts the emergence of hydrodynamic turbulence in our simulations, as shown by others before. Starting a simulation with larger grains (100 μm) generally leads to a less turbulent outcome. While the inner disk regions (within ∼70 au) develop turbulence in all three simulations, we find that the simulations with larger particles do not develop VSI in the outer disk. Conclusions. Our simulations with dynamically calculated thermal accommodation times based on the drifting and settling dust distribution show that the VSI, once developed in a disk, can be sustained over long timescales, even if grain growth is occurring. The VSI corrugates the dust layer and even diffuses the smaller grains into the upper atmosphere, where they can cool the gas. Whether the instability can emerge for a specific stratification depends on the initial dust grain sizes and the initial dust scale height. If the grains are initially ≳100 μm and if the level of turbulence is initially assumed to be low, we find no VSI turbulence in the outer disk regions.

Impact of aeolian erosion on dust evolution in protoplanetary discs

Context. Many barriers prevent dust from forming planetesimals via coagulation in protoplanetary discs, such as bouncing, collisional fragmentation, or aeolian erosion. Modelling dust and the different phenomena that can alter its evolution is therefore necessary. Multiple solutions have been proposed, but they still need to be confirmed. Aims. In this paper, we explore the role that aeolian erosion plays in the evolution of dust. Methods. We used a mono-disperse model to account for dust growth and fragmentation, implemented in a 1D code to compute the evolution of single grains and in a 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to compute the global evolution of dust and gas. We tested the erosion model in our code and ensured it matched previous results. Results. With a disc model that reproduces observations, we show with both 1D and 3D studies that erosion is not significant during the evolution of dust when we take fragmentation into consideration. With a low-viscosity disc, fragmentation is less of a problem, but grain growth is also less important, which prevents the formation of large objects. In dust traps, close to the star, erosion is also not impactful, even when fragmentation is turned off. Conclusions. We show in this paper that aeolian erosion is negligible when radial drift, fragmentation, and dust traps are taken into account and that it does not alter the dust evolution in the disc. However, it can have an impact on later stages, when the streaming instability forms large clumps close to the star, or when planetesimals are captured.

Evolution of grain size distribution in the circumgalactic medium

Abstract In order to theoretically understand dust properties in the circumgalactic medium (CGM), we construct a dust evolution model that incorporates the evolution of grain size distribution. We treat the galaxy and the CGM as separate one-zone objects, and consider the mass exchange between them. We take into account dust production and interstellar dust processing for the galaxy based on our previous models, and newly incorporate sputtering in the hot phase and shattering in the cool phase for the CGM. We find that shattering increases the dust destruction (sputtering) efficiency in the CGM. The functional shape of the grain size distribution in the CGM evolves following that in the galaxy, but it is sensitive to the balance between sputtering and shattering in the CGM. For an observational test, we discuss the wavelength dependence of the reddening in the CGM traced by background quasar colors, arguing that, in order to explain the observed reddening level, a rapid inflow from the CGM to the galaxy is favored because of quick dust/metal enrichment. Small grain production by shattering in the CGM also helps to explain the rise of dust extinction toward short wavelengths.

A self-consistent model for dust settling and the vertical shear instability in protoplanetary disks

Abstract The spatial distribution of dust particles in protoplanetary disks affects dust evolution and planetesimal formation processes. The vertical shear instability (VSI) is one of the candidate hydrodynamic mechanisms that can generate turbulence in the outer disk region and affect dust diffusion. Turbulence driven by the VSI has a predominant vertical motion that can prevent dust settling. On the other hand, the dust distribution controls the spatial distribution of the gas cooling rate, thereby affecting the strength of VSI-driven turbulence. Here, we present a semi-analytic model that determines the vertical dust distribution and the strength of VSI-driven turbulence in a self-consistent manner. The model uses an empirical formula for the vertical diffusion coefficient in VSI-driven turbulence obtained from our recent hydrodynamical simulations. The formula returns the vertical diffusion coefficient as a function of the vertical profile of the cooling rate, which is determined by the vertical dust distribution. We use this model to search for an equilibrium vertical dust profile where settling balances with turbulent diffusion for a given maximum grain size. We find that if the grains are sufficiently small, there exists a stable equilibrium dust distribution where VSI-driven turbulence is sustained at a level of αz ∼ 10−3, where αz is the dimensionless vertical diffusion coefficient. However, as the maximum grain size increases, the equilibrium solution vanishes because the VSI can no longer stop the settling of the grains. This runaway settling may explain highly settled dust rings found in the outer part of some protoplanetary disks.

Spatial distribution of crystalline silicates in protoplanetary disks: How to interpret mid-infrared observations

Context. Crystalline silicates are an important tracer of the evolution of dust, the main building block of planet formation. In an inner protoplanetary disk, amorphous silicates are annealed because of the high temperatures that prevail there. These crystalline silicates are radially and vertically distributed by a disk turbulence and/or radial transport. Mid-infrared spectrographs are sensitive to the presence and temperature of micron-sized silicates, and the dust temperature can be used to infer their spatial distribution. Aims. We aim to model the spatial distribution of crystalline silicate dust in protoplanetary disks taking into account thermal annealing of silicate dust and radial transport of dust in the midplane. Using the resulting spatial distribution of crystalline and amorphous silicates, we calculated mid-infrared spectra to study the effect on dust features and to compare these to observations. Methods. We modeled a Class II T-Tauri protoplanetary disk and defined the region where crystallization happens by thermal annealing process from the comparison between crystallization and residence timescales ($ cryst res $). Radial mixing and drift were also compared to find a vertically well mixed region ($ ver drift $). We used the DISKLAB code to model the radial transport in the midplane and obtained the spatial distribution of the crystalline silicates for different grain sizes. We used MCMax, a radiative transfer code, to model the mid-infrared spectrum. Results. In our modeled T-Tauri disk, different grain sizes get crystallized in different radial and vertical ranges within 0.2 au. Small dust gets vertically mixed up efficiently, so crystallized small dust in the disk surface is well mixed with the midplane. Inward of 0.075 au, all grains are fully crystalline irrespective of their size. We also find that the crystallized dust is distributed out to a few au by radial transport, smaller grains more so than larger ones. Our fiducial model shows different contributions of the inner and outer disks to the dust spectral features. The $10 forsterite feature has an $ 30 <!PCT!>$ contribution from the innermost disk (0.07-0.09 au) and $<1 <!PCT!>$ from the disk beyond 10 au while the $33 feature has an $ 10 <!PCT!>$ contribution from both innermost and outer disks. We also find that feature strengths change when varying the spatial distribution of crystalline dust. Our modeled spectra qualitatively agree with observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope, but the modeled 10 mu m feature is strongly dominated by crystalline dust, unlike observations. Models with reduced crystallinity and depletion of small crystalline dust within 0.2 au show a better match with observations. Conclusions. Mid-infrared observations of the disk surface represent the radial distribution of small dust grains in the midplane and provide us with abundances of crystalline and amorphous dust, size distribution, and chemical composition in the inner disk. The inner and outer disks contribute more to shorter and longer wavelength features, respectively. In addition to the crystallization and dynamical processes, amorphization, sublimation of silicates, and dust evolution have to be taken into account to match observations, especially at $ where the inner disk mostly contributes. This study could interpret spectra of protoplanetary disks taken with the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope.