Synonyms
Definition
Interstellar dust consists of small solid particles with sizes in the nanometer to micrometer range, accounting for approximately 1% of the total mass of the interstellar medium. The particles are generally thought to be composed of a mixture of silicates and solid carbon (amorphous or graphitic carbon, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, and possibly kerogen-like organic material). They are responsible for the extinction and polarization of starlight and for scattering that produces reflection nebulae around dust-embedded stars; they also act as efficient radiators in the infrared, providing an important cooling mechanism for interstellar clouds and protostellar envelopes. The surfaces of dust grains provide a substrate for important chemical surface reactions.
History
The earliest evidence for the presence of dust in the interstellar medium was provided in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by...
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References
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Whittet, D. (2023). Interstellar Dust. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_799
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_799
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