# Nova Dust Nucleation: Kinetics and Photodissociation

Source: [Nova Dust Nucleation: Kinetics and Photodissociation](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/68fa24042c2a37601939e0ae>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2025-10-24T07:51:25.410Z

Authors: D. J. Johnson, M. W. Friedlander, J. I. Katz

Published: 1992-04-30T19:30:14.000Z

## Abstract

Dust is observed to form in nova ejecta. The grain temperature is determined by the diluted nova radiation field rather than the gas kinetic temperature, making classical nucleation theory inapplicable. We used kinetic equations to calculate the growth of carbon nuclei in these ejecta. For expected values of the parameters too many clusters grew, despite the small sticking probability of atoms to small clusters, and the clusters only reached radii of about 100\\AA\\ when the carbon vapor was depleted. We then included the effects of cluster photodissociation by ultraviolet radiation from the nova. This suppresses nucleation, but too well, and no grains form at all. Finally we suggest that a few growing carbon nuclei may be protected from photodissociation by a sacrificial surface layer of hydrogen.

## Recorded benchmark results

A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage.

## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9204006>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/9204006.pdf>)