Several evolved circumstelllar environments produce carbon and include evolved low-mass stars on the Asymptotic Giant Branch, the explosion of massive stars as supernovae, and the colliding winds of massive, Wolf-Rayet stars. Depending on the chemical composition of the dust-forming environment and the gas temperature, the routes to carbon dust synthesis differ. Some are based on the growth of aromatic compounds such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, others involve the formation of carbon chains, rings, and cages. This talk will review the various pathways to carbon dust, the gas parameters of various stellar media that are conducive to carbon dust synthesis, and the latest models of carbon dust production in evolved stars.

Dust formation in carbon stars

249th National Meeting (2015)

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