Title: Flecks of extraterrestrial dust, all over the roof - The story of their cosmic makeup

Abstract: After decades of failures and misunderstandings, scientists have solved a cosmic riddle — what happens to the tons of dust particles that hit the Earth every day but seldom if ever get discovered in the places that humans know best, like buildings and parking lots, sidewalks and park benches. The answer? Nothing. Look harder. The tiny flecks are everywhere, all over the roof. The morphology of these flecks - micrometeorites - is a first hint of their extraterrestrial origin, the determination of their chemical makeup is the decisive making body. But how is that cosmic dust formed? What important clues on stellar evolution are hidden in these extraterrestrial flecks? What do these microscopic samples supported by astronomical observations tell us about the future evolution of our own Sun, and how life on Earth might change in a few billion years from now? In this talk, I will discuss how interdisciplinary research linking astronomy and chemistry – `astrochemistry’ – can reveal the true formation pathways of these little grains, thereby combining the three fundamental axes of (astro)physical research: observations, theoretical models, and laboratory experiments. During the talk, I will specifically highlight the crucial role of ALMA observations in disclosing the nucleation histories of ageing Sun-like stars.

The European ALMA Regional Centre (ARC) network has recently launched the new virtual talk series "ALMA recounts of Cosmic Conundrums”.  In every talk of this series the invited speaker will present a major astronomical question and then focus on ALMAs contribution to this question, past and future. The aim of the series is to highlight the unparalleled contribution of ALMA to the broader astronomical landscape and to provide an outlook towards the future.

The current schedule is as follows:

If you have any questions contact the European ARC network through the ALMA helpdesk.