Evolution of silicate dust in interstellar, circumstellar and cometary environments: the role of irradiation and temperature

Due to the development of observational and analytical tools, our knowledge of the silicate dust has considerably increased these last years. Dust is formed around evolved stars and injected in the interstellar medium (ISM) in which it travels. Dust is then incorporated in the proto-planetary disks around young stars. During its life cycle, the silicate dust is subjected by numerous processes. The aim of this PhD work is firstly to study the chemical and morphological modifications of silicate dust in supernovae shock waves then to indicate its evolution when it is incorporated around young stars. We have developed low energy ion irradiations in situ in a photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The chemical and morphological changes have been measured respectively by XPS and atomic force microscopy. We have also carried out thermal annealing under controlled atmosphere of amorphous silicates. The structural and chemical modifications have been observed by analytical transmission electron microscopy. We have shown that ion irradiation induces chemical and morphological changes in silicate. In the ISM, supernovae shock waves are thus a major process which could affect the silicate dust evolution. The microstructure obtained after thermal annealing strongly depends on oxygen fugacity. They often offer a good comparison with those observed in primitive materials present in our solar system. The recrystallization of amorphous interstellar precursors in the inner accretion disk is thus an efficient process to form crystalline silicates which are furthermore incorporated in small parent bodies (asteroids or comets). (author)