The Cosmic Crystallinity Conundrum: Clues from IRAS 17495-2534

TL;DR

This study investigates the crystalline silicate features in IRAS 17495-2534, revealing insights into dust formation in massive AGB stars and their contribution to interstellar dust composition.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of crystalline silicate absorption in IRAS 17495-2534, confirming forsterite dominance and linking dust crystallinity to stellar mass-loss and initial mass.

Findings

Crystalline silicates are dominated by forsterite.

High mass-loss rates lead to more crystalline material.

Only massive AGB stars significantly contribute to interstellar crystalline dust.

Abstract

Since their discovery, cosmic crystalline silicates have presented several challenges to understanding dust formation and evolution. The mid-infrared spectrum of IRAS 17495$-$2534, a highly obscured oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, is the only source observed to date which exhibits a clear crystalline silicate absorption feature. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to test competing hypotheses for dust formation. Observed spectral features suggest that both amorphous and crystalline dust is dominated by forsterite (Mg\_2 SiO\_4) rather than enstatite (MgSiO\_3) or other silicate compositions. We confirm that high mass-loss rates should produce more crystalline material, and show why this should be dominated by forsterite. The presence of Mg\_2 SiO\_4 glass suggests that another factor (possibly C/O) is critical in determining astromineralogy. Correlation between crystallinity, mass-loss rate and initial stellar mass suggests that only the most massive AGB stars contribute significant quantities of crystalline material to the interstellar medium, resolving the conundrum of its low crystallinity.