Grain formation behind shocks and the origin of isotopically anomalous meteoritic inclusions

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Abstract
Interstellar grains are formed in connection with condensation and coagulation processes in various parts of the interstellar medium, possibly including stellar winds. Attention is given to grain formation behind shock fronts in dense clouds. It is pointed out that a snowplowing postshock layer can grow grains up to a maximum size that is proportional to the initial momentum of the shock. For typical initial conditions, this maximum grain size can be on the order of a millimeter or more when the shock finally stops. The grains can contain isotopic anomalies if the shock was initially caused by supernova ejecta impinging on a molecular cloud. In this case, the final mass dilution factor of the anomalous material will equal the initial Mach number of the shock (by momentum conservation). The standard equations of motion for a decelerating shock are reviewed. An example of grain formation behind supernova-driven shocks in molecular clouds is considered.

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