title: An infrared spectral match between GEMS and interstellar grains.
abstract: Infrared spectral properties of silicate grains in interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) were compared with those of astronomical silicates. The approximately 10-micrometer silicon-oxygen stretch bands of IDPs containing enstatite (MgSiO3), forsterite (Mg2SiO4), and glass with embedded metal and sulfides (GEMS) exhibit fine structure and bandwidths similar to those of solar system comets and some pre-main sequence Herbig Ae/Be stars. Some GEMS exhibit a broad, featureless silicon-oxygen stretch band similar to those observed in interstellar molecular clouds and young stellar objects. These GEMS provide a spectral match to astronomical "amorphous" silicates, one of the fundamental building blocks from which the solar system is presumed to have formed.
authors.affiliation: MVA Inc., Norcross, GA 30093, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hanner
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gezo
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clemett
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brownlee
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bowey
mesh_terms: D019443:Cosmic Dust; D017633:Magnesium Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D019110:Meteoroids; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared
chemical_list: D019443:Cosmic Dust; D017633:Magnesium Silicates; D017640:Silicates