2003/04/28 by B. T. Draine · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.41.011802.094840
published as Ann.Rev.Astron.Astrophys.41:241-289,2003 · To appear in Annual Review of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 41 (2003). 46 pages, 16 figures. LaTeX, needs ar2e.cls
arxiv created 2003/04/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
This review surveys the observed properties of interstellar dust grains: the wavelength-dependent extinction of starlight, including absorption features, from UV to IR; optical luminescence; IR emission; microwave emission; optical, UV, and X-ray scattering by dust; and polarization of starlight and of infrared emission. The relationship between presolar grains in meteorites and the interstellar grain population is discussed. Candidate grain materials and abundance constraints are considered. A dust model consisting of amorphous silicate grains, graphite grains, and PAHs is compared with observed emission and scattering. Some issues concerning evolution of interstellar dust are discussed.