Properties of circumstellar silicate dust (Review)

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Abstract
We give a review of the present knowledge on the properties of circumstellar silicate dust. After relating the detection story, a survey of objects with silicate features in their spectra is presented. The interdependence between the optical properties of the dust grains and the structure of the circumstellar envelopes in determining the outgoing infrared radiation is analyzed and the more important studies of dust shells with silicate grains are summarized. The optical properties of the circumstellar silicates are discussed. The amorphous structure of the silicates is emphasized. Finally, the relevance of fine structures within the 10‐μm feature observed in several objects is considered.