1. Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 67, 1525 Budapest, Hungary
2. Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
3. Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence to: P. Ábrahám¹ Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.Á. (Email: abraham@konkoly.hu).

Abstract

The Solar System originated in a cloud of interstellar gas and dust. The dust is in the form of amorphous silicate particles^{1, 2} and carbonaceous dust. The composition of cometary material, however, shows that a significant fraction of the amorphous silicate dust was transformed into crystalline form during the early evolution of the protosolar nebula³. How and when this transformation happened has been a question of debate, with the main options being heating by the young Sun^{4, 5} and shock heating⁶. Here we report mid-infrared features in the outburst spectrum of the young Sun-like star EX Lupi that were not present in quiescence. We attribute them to crystalline forsterite. We conclude that the crystals were produced through thermal annealing in the surface layer of the inner disk by heat from the outburst, a process that has hitherto not been considered. The observed lack of cold crystals excludes shock heating at larger radii.

1. Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 67, 1525 Budapest, Hungary
2. Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
3. Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence to: P. Ábrahám¹ Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.Á. (Email: abraham@konkoly.hu).

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.