2003/12/12 by M. D. Gray, M. G. Edmunds · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07502.x
published as Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 349 (2004) 491 · tex file and nine postscript figure in tar.gz archive
arxiv created 2003/12/12 · openalex publication_date 2004/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We have applied the srim computer code to study the sputtering of some likely astrophysical grain materials, and we have shown that selective embedding of metallic projectiles offers a partial explanation of gas-phase depletions. We show that supernova shockwaves sweep a significantly larger mass of interstellar gas per unit time than the shockwaves generated by outflows in star-forming regions. We apply our sputtering model to the bombardment levels expected in a supernova shock, and show that net embedding may dominate over net sputtering, leading to grain growth under some circumstances, particularly when the bombarding gas is enriched with metals from the supernova progenitor star. A combination of short cooling times and net embedding means that it is possible for a Type II supernova to generate more dust than it destroys, and we conclude that, in general, the sputtering process often leads to a compositional change in the grain material rather than simply to grain erosion.