The Formation of Crystalline Dust in AGB Winds from Binary-induced Spiral Shocks

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Published 2008 February 11 © 2008. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
, , Citation Richard G. Edgar et al 2008 ApJ 675 L101 DOI 10.1086/533436

1538-4357/675/2/L101

Abstract

As stars evolve along the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), strong winds are driven from the outer envelope. These winds form a shell, which may ultimately become a planetary nebula. Many planetary nebulae are highly asymmetric, hinting at the presence of a binary companion. Some post-AGB objects are surrounded by tori of crystalline dust, but there is no generally accepted mechanism for annealing the amorphous grains in the wind to crystals. Here, we show that the shaping of an AGB wind by a binary companion provides a possible mechanism for forming crystalline dust in the orbital plane.

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10.1086/533436