Dust Grain Size Distribution Research Articles

Expected dust grain-size distributions in galaxies detected by ALMA at z > 7

ABSTRACT The dust properties in high-redshift galaxies provide clues to the origin of dust in the Universe. Although dust has been detected in galaxies at redshift z > 7, it is difficult to constrain the dominant dust sources only from the total dust amount. Thus, we calculate the evolution of grain-size distribution, expecting that different dust sources predict different grain-size distributions. Using the star formation time-scale and the total Baryonic mass constrained by the data in the literature, we calculate the evolution of grain-size distribution. To explain the total dust masses in ALMA-detected z > 7 galaxies, the following two solutions are possible: (i) high dust condensation efficiency in stellar ejecta and (ii) efficient accretion (dust growth by accreting the gas-phase metals in the interstellar medium). We find that these two scenarios predict significantly different grain-size distributions: in (i), the dust is dominated by large grains ($a\gtrsim 0.1\,{\mu m}$, where a is the grain radius), while in (ii), the small-grain ($a\lesssim 0.01\,{\mu m}$) abundance is significantly enhanced by accretion. Accordingly, extinction curves are expected to be much steeper in (ii) than in (i). Thus, we conclude that extinction curves provide a viable way to distinguish the dominant dust sources in the early phase of galaxy evolution.

From molecules to dust grains: The role of alumina cluster seeds

AbstractAsymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars contribute a major part to the global dust budget in galaxies. Owing to their refractory nature alumina (stoichiometric formula AlO) is a promising candidate to be the first condensate emerging in the atmospheres of oxygen-rich AGB stars. Strong evidence for that is supplied by the presence of alumina in pristine meteorites and a broad spectral feature observed around ∼ 13 μm. The emergence of a specific condensate depends on the thermal stability of the solid, the gas density and its composition. The evaluation of the condensates is based on macroscopic bulk properties. The growth and size distribution of dust grains is commonly described by Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT). We question the applicability of CNT in an expanding circumstellar envelope as CNT presumes thermodynamic equilibrium and requires, in practise, seed nuclei on which material can condense. However, nano-sized molecular clusters differ significantly from bulk analogues. Quantum effects of the clusters lead to non-crystalline structures, whose characteristics (energy, geometry) differ substantially, compared to the bulk material. Hence, a kinetic quantum-chemical treatment involving various transition states describes dust nucleation most accurately. However, such a treatment is prohibitive for systems with more than 10 atoms. We discuss the viability of chemical-kinetic routes towards the formation of the monomer (Al2O3) and the dimer (Al4O6) of alumina.

New constraints on the millimetre emission of six debris discs

The presence of dusty debris around main sequence stars denotes the existence of planetary systems. Such debris disks are often identified by the presence of excess continuum emission at infrared and (sub-)millimetre wavelengths, with measurements at longer wavelengths tracing larger and cooler dust grains. The exponent of the slope of the disk emission at sub-millimetre wavelengths, `q', defines the size distribution of dust grains in the disk. This size distribution is a function of the rigid strength of the dust producing parent planetesimals. As part of the survey `PLAnetesimals around TYpical Pre-main seqUence Stars' (PLATYPUS) we observed six debris disks at 9-mm using the Australian Telescope Compact Array. We obtain marginal (~3-\sigma) detections of three targets: HD 105, HD 61005, and HD 131835. Upper limits for the three remaining disks, HD20807, HD109573, and HD109085, provide further constraint of the (sub-)millimetre slope of their spectral energy distributions. The values of q (or their limits) derived from our observations are all smaller than the oft-assumed steady state collisional cascade model (q = 3.5), but lie well within the theoretically expected range for debris disks q ~ 3 to 4. The measured q values for our targets are all < 3.3, consistent with both collisional modelling results and theoretical predictions for parent planetesimal bodies being `rubble piles' held together loosely by their self-gravity.

The evolution of hydrocarbon dust grains in the interstellar medium and its influence on the infrared spectra of dust

We present evolutionary calculations for the size and aromatization degree distributions of interstellar dust grains, driven by their destruction by radiation, collisions with gas particles, and shattering due to grain-grain collisions. Based on these calculations we model dust emission spectra. The initial grain size distribution play the important role in the evolution of an ensemble of dust particles. Radiation in the considered intensity range mostly aromatizes grains. The smallest grains are mainly destructed via sputtering by collisions with gas particles. There are no grains smaller than 20~\AA\ in the medium at relative gas-dust velocities more than 50~km/s, which is typical for shocks in supernova remnants. The IR emission spectrum changes significantly due to the dust evolution depending on the adopted grain properties, in particular, on the energy of the C--C bonds ($E_0$). Aromatic bands in the near-IR (2--15~$\mu$m) are absent, if $E_0$ is low, even when the medium properties correspond to the average interstellar medium in our Galaxy. As in reality these bands are observed, high $E_0$ values are more preferable. We consider dependence of the emission intensity ratios for various photometric bands on the medium properties. The aromatization degree of small grains shows up most strongly in the $I_{3.4}/I_{11.3}$ intensity ratio while the fraction of aromatic grains in the total dust mass influences the $I_{3.3}/I_{70+160}$ ratio.

Effect of dust size distribution and dust charge fluctuation on dust ion-acoustic shock waves in a multi-ion dusty plasma

The effects of dust size distribution and dust charge fluctuation of dust grains on the small but finite amplitude nonlinear dust ion-acoustic shock waves, in an unmagnetized multi-ion dusty plasma which contains negative ions, positive ions and electrons, are studied in this paper. A Burgers equation and its stationary solutions are obtained by using the reductive perturbation method. The analytical and numerical results show that the height with polynomial dust size distribution is larger than that of the monosized dusty plasmas with the same dust grains, but the thickness in the case of different dust grains is smaller than that of the monosized dusty plasmas. Furthermore, the moving speed of the shock waves also depend on different dust size distributions.

CONSTRAINTS ON PLANETESIMAL COLLISION MODELS IN DEBRIS DISKS

ABSTRACT Observations of debris disks offer a window into the physical and dynamical properties of planetesimals in extrasolar systems through the size distribution of dust grains. In particular, the millimeter spectral index of thermal dust emission encodes information on the grain size distribution. We have made new VLA observations of a sample of seven nearby debris disks at 9 mm, with resolution and ∼5 μJy beam−1rms. We combine these with archival ATCA observations of eight additional debris disks observed at 7 mm, together with up-to-date observations of all disks at (sub)millimeter wavelengths from the literature, to place tight constraints on the millimeter spectral indices and thus grain size distributions. The analysis gives a weighted mean for the slope of the power-law grain size distribution, , of , with a possible trend of decreasing q for later spectral type stars. We compare our results to a range of theoretical models of collisional cascades, from the standard self-similar, steady-state size distribution (q = 3.5) to solutions that incorporate more realistic physics such as alternative velocity distributions and material strengths, the possibility of a cutoff at small dust sizes from radiation pressure, and results from detailed dynamical calculations of specific disks. Such effects can lead to size distributions consistent with the data, and plausibly the observed scatter in spectral indices. For the AU Mic system, the VLA observations show clear evidence of a highly variable stellar emission component; this stellar activity obviates the need to invoke the presence of an asteroid belt to explain the previously reported compact millimeter source in this system.

MEASUREMENTS OF DIFFUSE SKY EMISSION COMPONENTS IN HIGH GALACTIC LATITUDES AT 3.5 AND 4.9 μm USING DIRBE AND WISE DATA

ABSTRACT Using all-sky maps obtained from the Cosmic Background Explorer/Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) at 3.5 and 4.9 μm, we present a reanalysis of diffuse sky emissions such as zodiacal light (ZL), diffuse Galactic light (DGL), integrated starlight (ISL), and isotropic residual emission including the extragalactic background light (EBL). Our new analysis, which includes an improved estimate of ISL using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer data, enabled us to find the DGL signal in a direct linear correlation between diffuse near-infrared and 100 μm emission at high Galactic latitudes ( &mid; b &mid; &gt; 35 &deg; ?> ). At 3.5 μm, the high-latitude DGL result is comparable to the low-latitude value derived from the previous DIRBE analysis. In comparison with models of the DGL spectrum assuming a size distribution of dust grains composed of amorphous silicate, graphite, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), the measured DGL values at 3.5 and 4.9 μm constrain the mass fraction of PAH particles in the total dust species to be more than ∼2%. This was consistent with the results of Spitzer/IRAC toward the lower Galactic latitude regions. The derived residual emission of 8.9 ± 3.4 nWm−2 sr−1 at 3.5 μm is marginally consistent with the level of integrated galaxy light and the EBL constraints from the γ-ray observations. The residual emission at 4.9 μm is not significantly detected due to the large uncertainty in the ZL subtraction, the same as in previous studies. Combined with our reanalysis of the DIRBE data at 1.25 and 2.2 μm, the residual emission in the near-infrared exhibits the Rayleigh–Jeans spectrum.

Charge distribution over dust particles configured with size distribution in a complex plasma

A theoretical kinetic model describing the distribution of charge on the dust particles configured with generalized Kappa size distribution in a complex plasma has been developed. The formulation is based on the manifestation of uniform potential theory with an analytical solution of the master differential equation for the probability density function of dust charge; the number and energy balance of the plasma constituents are utilized in writing the kinetic equations. A parametric study to determine the steady state plasma parameters and the charge distribution corresponding to a size distribution of dust grains in the complex plasma has been made; the numerical results are presented graphically. The charge distribution is seen sensitive to the population of small grains in the particle size distribution and thus in contrast to symmetrical distribution of charge around a mean value for uniform sized grains, the charge distribution in the present case peaks around lower charge.

The evolved circumbinary disk of AC Herculis: a radiative transfer, interferometric, and mineralogical study

We aim to constrain the structure of the circumstellar material around the post-AGB binary and RV Tauri pulsator AC Her. We want to constrain the spatial distribution of the amorphous as well as of the crystalline dust. We present very high-quality mid-IR interferometric data that were obtained with MIDI/VLTI. We analyse the MIDI data and the full SED, using the MCMax radiative transfer code, to find a good structure model of AC Her's circumbinary disk. We include a grain size distribution and midplane settling of dust self-consistently. The spatial distribution of crystalline forsterite in the disk is investigated with the mid-IR features, the 69~$\mu$m band and the 11.3~$\mu$m signatures in the interferometric data. All the data are well fitted. The inclination and position angle of the disk are well determined at i=50+-8 and PA=305+-10. We firmly establish that the inner disk radius is about an order of magnitude larger than the dust sublimation radius. Significant grain growth has occurred, with mm-sized grains being settled to the midplane of the disk. A large dust mass is needed to fit the sub-mm fluxes. By assuming {\alpha}=0.01, a good fit is obtained with a small grain size power law index of 3.25, combined with a small gas/dust ratio <10. The resulting gas mass is compatible with recent estimates employing direct gas diagnostics. The spatial distribution of the forsterite is different from the amorphous dust, as more warm forsterite is needed in the surface layers of the inner disk. The disk in AC Her is very evolved, with its small gas/dust ratio and large inner hole. Mid-IR interferometry offers unique constraints, complementary to mid-IR features, for studying the mineralogy in disks. A better uv coverage is needed to constrain in detail the distribution of the crystalline forsterite in AC Her, but we find strong similarities with the protoplanetary disk HD100546.

Dust properties inside molecular clouds from coreshine modeling and observations

Context. Using observations to deduce dust properties, grain size distribution, and physical conditions in molecular clouds is a highly degenerate problem. Aims. The coreshine phenomenon, a scattering process at 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m that dominates absorption, has revealed its ability to explore the densest parts of clouds. We want to use this effect to constrain the dust parameters. The goal is to investigate to what extent grain growth (at constant dust mass) inside molecular clouds is able to explain the coreshine observations. We aim to find dust models that can explain a sample of Spitzer coreshine data. We also look at the consistency with near-infrared data we obtained for a few clouds. Methods. We selected four regions with a very high occurrence of coreshine cases: Taurus-Perseus, Cepheus, Chameleon and L183/L134. We built a grid of dust models and investigated the key parameters to reproduce the general trend of surface bright- nesses and intensity ratios of both coreshine and near-infrared observations with the help of a 3D Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code. The grid parameters allow to investigate the effect of coagulation upon spherical grains up to 5 $\mu$m in size derived from the DustEm diffuse interstellar medium grains. Fluffiness (porosity or fractal degree), ices, and a handful of classical grain size distributions were also tested. We used the near- and mostly mid-infrared intensity ratios as strong discriminants between dust models. Results. The determination of the background field intensity at each wavelength is a key issue. In particular, an especially strong background field explains why we do not see coreshine in the Galactic plane at 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m. For starless cores, where detected, the observed 4.5 $\mu$m / 3.6 $\mu$m coreshine intensity ratio is always lower than $\sim$0.5 which is also what we find in the models for the Taurus-Perseus and L183 directions. Embedded sources can lead to higher fluxes (up to four times greater than the strongest starless core fluxes) and higher coreshine ratios (from 0.5 to 1.1 in our selected sample). Normal interstellar radiation field conditions are sufficient to find suitable grain models at all wavelengths for starless cores. The standard interstellar grains are not able to reproduce observations and, due to the multi-wavelength approach, only a few grain types meet the criteria set by the data. Porosity does not affect the flux ratios while the fractal dimension helps to explain coreshine ratios but does not seem able to reproduce near-infrared observations without a mix of other grain types. Conclusions. Combined near- and mid-infrared wavelengths confirm the potential to reveal the nature and size distribution of dust grains. Careful assessment of the environmental parameters (interstellar and background fields, embedded or nearby reddened sources) is required to validate this new diagnostic.

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) Onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) is an in situ dust detector onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission. It is designed to characterize the variability of the dust in the lunar exosphere by mapping the size and spatial distributions of dust grains in the lunar environment as a function of local time and the position of the Moon with respect to the magnetosphere of the Earth. LDEX gauged the relative contributions of the two competing dust sources: (a) ejecta production due to the continual bombardment of the Moon by interplanetary micrometeoroids, and (b) lofting of small grains from the lunar surface due to plasma-induced near-surface electric fields.

Dense molecular clouds in the SN 2008fp host galaxy

(abridged) We use observations of interstellar absorption features, such as atomic and molecular lines as well as diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), towards SN2008fp to study the physical properties of extra-galactic diffuse interstellar clouds in the host galaxy, ESO428-G14. The properties of the intervening dust are investigated via spectropolarimetry. The spectra of SN2008fp reveal a complex of diffuse atomic clouds at radial velocities in line with the systematic velocities of the host galaxy (~1700 km/s). A translucent (A_V ~ 1.5 mag) cloud is detected at a heliocentric velocity of 1770 km/s This cold dense cloud is rich in dense atomic gas tracers, molecules, as well as diffuse interstellar bands. We have detected both C2 and C3 for the first time in a galaxy beyond the Local Group. The CN (0,0) band line ratios are used to derive an in-situ measurement of the cosmic background radiation temperature in an external galaxy; this gives an excitation temperature of T = 2.9 +- 0.3 K. The interstellar polarization law deviates significantly from what is observed in the Galaxy, indicating substantial differences in the composition or size distribution of dust grains in the SN2008fp host galaxy. C2 is used to probe the cold diffuse ISM density and temperature. The lack of variability in the extra-galactic absorption line profiles over a period of one month implies that the absorbing material is not circumstellar and thus not affected directly by the SN event. Also it shows that there are no significant density variation in the small-scale structure of the molecular cloud down to 100 AU.

A NEW METHOD FOR MEASURING EXTRAGALACTIC DISTANCES

We have pioneered a new method for the measurement of extragalactic distances. This method uses the time-lag between variations in the short wavelength and long wavelength light from an active galactic nucleus (AGN), based on a quantitative physical model of dust reverberation that relates the time-lag to the absolute luminosity of the AGN. We use the large homogeneous data set from intensive monitoring observations in optical and near-infrared wavelength bands with the dedicated 2-m MAGNUM telescope to obtain the distances to 17 AGNs in the redshift range z=0.0024 to z=0.0353. These distance measurements are compared with distances measured using Cepheid variable stars, and are used to infer that H_0= 73 +- 3 (random) km/s/Mpc. The systematic error in H_0 is examined, and the uncertainty in the size distribution of dust grains is the largest source of the systematic error, which is much reduced for a sample of AGNs for which their parameter values in the model of dust reverberation are individually measured. This AGN time-lag method can be used beyond 30 Mpc, the farthest distance reached by extragalactic Cepheids, and can be extended to high-redshift quasi-stellar objects.

HERSCHEL-RESOLVED OUTER BELTS OF TWO-BELT DEBRIS DISKS AROUND A-TYPE STARS: HD 70313, HD 71722, HD 159492, AND F-TYPE: HD 104860

We present dual-band Herschel/Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer imaging for four stars whose spectral energy distributions (SEDs) suggest two-ring disk architectures that mirror that of the asteroid–Kuiper Belt geometry of our own solar system. The Herschel observations at 100 μm spatially resolve the cold/outer-dust component for each star–disk system for the first time, finding evidence of planetesimals at >100 AU, i.e., a larger size than assumed from a simple blackbody fit to the SED. By breaking the degeneracy between the grain properties and the dust’s radial location, the resolved images help constrain the dust grain-size distribution for each system. Three of the observed stars are A-type and one solar-type. On the basis of the combined Spitzer/IRS+MIPS (5–70 μm), the Herschel/PACS (100 and 160 μm) dataset, and under the assumption of idealized spherical grains, we find that the cold/outer belts of the three A-type stars are well fit with a mixed ice/rock composition rather than pure rocky grains, while the debris around the solar-type star is consistent with either rock or ice/rock grains. For the solar-type star HD 104860, we find that the minimum grain size is larger than expected from the threshold set by radiative blowout. The A-type stars HD 71722 and HD 159492, on the other hand, require minimum grain sizes that are smaller than blowout for inner- and outer-ring populations. In the absence of spectral features for ice, we find that the behavior of the continuum can help constrain the composition of the grains (of icy nature and not pure rocky material) given the Herschel-resolved locations of the cold/outer-dust belts.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL MODELS FOR DERIVING DUST MASSES AND GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS IN SUPERNOVA EJECTA. I. RADIATIVELY HEATED DUST IN THE CRAB NEBULA

Recent far-infrared (IR) observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) have revealed significantly large amounts of newly-condensed dust in their ejecta, comparable to the total mass of available refractory elements. The dust masses derived from these observations assume that all the grains of a given species radiate at the same temperature, regardless of the dust heating mechanism or grain radius. In this paper, we derive the dust mass in the ejecta of the Crab Nebula, using a physical model for the heating and radiation from the dust. We adopt a power-law distribution of grain sizes and two different dust compositions (silicates and amorphous carbon), and calculate the heating rate of each dust grain by the radiation from the pulsar wind nebula (PWN). We find that the grains attain a continuous range of temperatures, depending on their size and composition. The total mass derived from the best-fit models to the observed IR spectrum is 0.019-0.13 solar masses, depending on the assumed grain composition. We find that the power-law size distribution of dust grains is characterized by a power-law index of 3.5-4.0 and a maximum grain size larger than 0.1 microns. The grain sizes and composition are consistent with what is expected for dust grains formed in a Type IIP SN. Our derived dust mass is at least a factor of two less than the mass reported in previous studies of the Crab Nebula that assumed more simplified two-temperature models. The results of this study show that a physical model resulting in a realistic distribution of dust temperatures can constrain the dust properties and affect the derived dust masses. Our study may also have important implications for deriving grain properties and mass estimates in other SNRs and for the ultimate question of whether SNe are major sources of dust in the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) and in external galaxies.

Influence of charging process and size distribution of dust grain on the electric conductivity of dusty plasma

The effects of dust size distribution and charging process of dust grains on the complex electric conductivity of dusty plasmas have been investigated in the present paper. Comparisons are made between real dusty plasma in which there are many different dust grain species and the mono-sized dusty plasma (MDP) in which there is only one kind of dust grain whose size is the average dust size. In some cases the complex electric conductivity of real dusty plasma is larger than that of MDP, while in other cases it is smaller than that of MDP, it depends on the dust size distribution function.

Sub-millimetre brightness of early star-forming galaxies

Based on a three-dimensional model of an early star-forming galaxy, we explore the evolution of the sub-millimeter brightness. The model galaxy is employed from an ultra-high-resolution chemodynamic simulation of a primordial galaxy by Mori & Umemura, where the SFR is ~ 10 Msun/yr at t<0.3 Gyr and several Msun/yr at t>0.3 Gyr. The former phase well reproduces the observed properties of LAEs and the latter does LBGs. We solve the three-dimensional radiative transfer in the clumpy interstellar media in this model galaxy, taking the size distributions of dust grains into account, and calculate the dust temperature as a function of galactic evolutionary time. We find that the clumpiness of interstellar media plays an important role for the sub-millimeter brightness. In the LAE phase, dust grains are concentrated on clumpy star-forming regions that are distributed all over the galaxy, and the grains can effectively absorb UV radiation from stars. As a result, the dust is heated up to T>35 K. In the LBG phase, the continuous supernovae drive dust grains far away from star-forming regions. Then, the grains cannot absorb much radiation from stars, and becomes into a cold state close to the CMB temperature. Consequently, the dust temperature decreases with the evolutionary time, where the mass-weighted mean temperature is T=26 K at t=0.1 Gyr and T=21 K at t=1.0 Gyr. By this analysis, it turns out that the sub-millimeter brightness is higher in the LAE phase than that in the LBG phase, although the dust-to-gas ratio increases monotonically as a function of time. We derive the spectral energy distributions by placing the model galaxy at a given redshift. The peak flux at 850 micron is found to be S_850 ~ 0.2 - 0.9 mJy if the model galaxy is placed at 6>z>2. This means that ALMA can detect an early star-forming galaxy with SFR of ~ 10 Msun/yr by less than one hour integration with 16 antennas.

Multifractal analysis to characterize urban surface dust volume-size distribution

Abstract The amount of ubiquitous urban environment surface dust with high contaminants is directly correlated with the degree of harm to the human body. This paper discusses the surface dust grain-size distribution characteristics by utilizing the multifractal model. The results indicate that urban surface dust particle distribution is a scattered distribution. Renyi-dimension spectra curves of dust are either nearly sigma shaped (q ≥ 0), or they follow a quasi-linear variation (q > 0). The Renyi dimensions (D(q)) and pH were found to have significance correlation. No relationship was found between D(q) and Arsenic (As). When q > 0, organic matter (OM) and Mercury (Hg) are positively correlated with Renyi dimensions. However, OM and Hg are not correlated with D(q) when q ≥ 0. The use of this multifractal model could be considered a way to express the contaminant level in dust. It may be taken into consideration in environment management strategies.

On the effects of microphysical grain properties on the yields of carbonaceous dust from Type II supernovae

We study the role of the unknown microphysical properties of carbonaceous dust particles in determining the amount and size distribution of carbonaceous dust condensed in type II supernova explosions. We parametrize the microphysical properties in terms of the shape factor of the grain and the sticking coefficient of gas-phase carbon atoms onto the grain surfaces. We find that the amount of dust formed is fairly independent of these properties, within the parameter range considered, though limited by the available amount of carbon atoms not locked in CO molecules. However, we find that the condensation times and size distributions of dust grains depend sensitively on the microphysical parameters, with the mass distributions being weighted toward larger effective radii for conditions considering grains with higher sticking coefficients and/or more aspherical shapes. We discuss that this leads to important consequences on the predicted extinction law of SN dust and on the survival rate of the formed grains as they pass through the reverse shock of the SN. We conclude that a more detailed understanding of the dust formation process and of the microphysical properties of each dust species needs to be achieved before robust prediction on the SN dust yields can be performed.

EVOLUTION OF SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF ICY GRAINS BY SUBLIMATION AND CONDENSATION

In the outer part of a protoplanetary disk, dust grains consist of silicate core covered by an ice mantle. A temporal heating event in the disk results in sublimation of the ice mantle. After the end of the heating event, as the temperature decreases, H2O molecules recondense on the surface of the dust grain. Ultimately, the dust grain is covered by an ice mantle. Because the equilibrium vapor pressure on the grain surface decreases with the grain size, a large grain grows faster than a small grain. As a result, the size of an icy dust grain changes as a result of the heating event. The change in size also affects the mechanical properties of the dust aggregates formed by the icy grains. In this paper, we investigated the evolution of the size distribution of icy dust grains during sublimation and condensation. We found that the size evolution of icy grains can be divided into two stages. In the first stage, the icy grains grow through condensation of H2O molecules. In the second stage, the size of grains changes further as H2O molecules are transferred between icy grains while the surrounding gas condenses. The size distribution of the icy dust grains becomes bimodal, with a small number of relatively large grains and many small grains without an icy mantle. Possible effects of the size change on the evolution of icy dust aggregates are discussed.