Pre-solar grains from novae and "Born-again giants"

Abstract

We review the properties of dust formed during classical nova eruptions and the Very Late Thermal Pulses (VLTPs) that occur during the later stages of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch evolution of low-mass stars. In both cases, carbon and hydrocarbon dust is produced. Novae may also produce silicate dust, contrary to the usual paradigm about the C:O ratio and dust composition. Despite the expectation that these dust sources are not expected to make significant contributions to the Galactic dust population, there is a significant body of evidence that grains from both stellar sources have been identified in recovered meteoritic and cometary material, and that certain infrared spectral signatures seen in comets are common to novae, VLTPs and pre-solar grains.