Context. The evolution of amorphous hydrocarbon materials, a-C(:H), principally resulting from ultraviolet (UV) photon absorptioninduced processing, are likely at the heart of the variations in the observed properties of dust in the interstellar medium. Aims. The consequences of the size-dependent and compositional variations in a-C(:H), from aliphatic-rich a-C:H to aromatic-rich a-C, are studied within the context of the interstellar dust extinction and emission. Methods. Newly-derived optical property data for a-C(:H) materials, combined with that for an amorphous forsterite-type silicate with iron nano-particle inclusions, a-Sil Fe , are used to explore dust evolution in the interstellar medium.Results. We present a new dust model that consists of a power-law distribution of small a-C grains and log-normal distributions of large a-Sil Fe and a-C(:H) grains. The model, which is firmly anchored by laboratory-data, is shown to quite naturally explain the variations in the infrared (IR) to far-ultraviolet (FUV) extinction, the 217 nm UV bump, the IR absorption and emission bands and the IR-mm dust emission. Conclusions. The major strengths of the new model are its inherent simplicity and built-in capacity to follow dust evolution in interstellar media. We show that mantle accretion in molecular clouds and UV photo-processing in photo-dominated regions are likely the major drivers of dust evolution.

Study of the interactions established between the viral glycoproteins and their host receptors is of critical importance for a better understanding of virus entry into cells. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is mediated by its spike glycoprotein (S-glycoprotein), and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as a cellular receptor. Here, we use atomic force microscopy to investigate the mechanisms by which the S-glycoprotein binds to the ACE2 receptor. We demonstrate, both on model surfaces and on living cells, that the receptor binding domain (RBD) serves as the binding interface within the S-glycoprotein with the ACE2 receptor and extract the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of this binding pocket. Altogether, these results provide a picture of the established interaction on living cells. Finally, we test several binding inhibitor peptides targeting the virus early attachment stages, offering new perspectives in the treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Here we introduce the interstellar dust modelling framework THEMIS (The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model for Interstellar Solids), which takes a global view of dust and its evolution in response to the local conditions in interstellar media. This approach is built upon a core model that was developed to explain the dust extinction and emission in the diffuse interstellar medium. The model was then further developed to self-consistently include the effects of dust evolution in the transition to denser regions. The THEMIS approach is under continuous development and we are currently extending the framework to explore the implications of dust evolution in HII regions and the photon-dominated regions associated with star formation. We provide links to the THEMIS, DustEM and DustPedia websites where more information about the model, its input data and applications can be found.

Context. Variations in the observed dust emission and extinction indicate a systematic evolution of grain properties in the transition from the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) to denser molecular clouds. Aims. The differences in the dust spectral energy distribution (SED) observed from the diffuse ISM to denser regions, namely an increase in the spectral index at long wavelengths, an increase in the FIR opacity, and a decrease in temperature, are usually assumed to be the result of changes in dust properties. We investigate if evolutionary processes, such as coagulation and accretion, are able to change the dust properties of grains in a way that is consistent with observations. Methods. We use a core-mantle grain model to describe diffuse ISM-type grains, and using a discrete-dipole approximation, we calculate how the accretion of mantles and coagulation into aggregates vary the grain optical properties. We calculate the dust SED and extinction using DustEM and the radiative transfer code CRT. Results. We show that the accretion of an aliphatic carbon mantle on diffuse ISM-type dust leads to an increase in the FIR opacity by a factor of about 2 and in the FIR/submm spectral index from 1.5 to 1.8, and to a decrease in the temperature by about 2 K. We also show that the coagulation of these grains into aggregates further decreases the temperature by 3 K and increases the spectral index up to a value of ∼2. The FIR opacity is increased by a factor of 3 (7) for these aggregates (with an additional ice-mantle) compared to the diffuse ISM-dust. Conclusions. Dust evolution in the ISM resulting from coagulation and accretion, leads to significant changes in the optical properties of the grains that can explain the observed variations in the dust SED in the transition from the diffuse ISM to denser regions.

Context. The depletion of iron and sulphur into dust in the interstellar medium and the exact nature of interstellar amorphous silicate grains is still an open question. Aims. We study the incorporation of iron and sulphur into amorphous silicates of olivine-and pyroxene-type and their effects on the dust spectroscopy and thermal emission. Methods. We used the Maxwell-Garnett effective-medium theory to construct the optical constants for a mixture of silicates, metallic iron, and iron sulphide. We also studied the effects of iron and iron sulphide in aggregate grains. Results. Iron sulphide inclusions within amorphous silicates that contain iron metal inclusions shows no strong differences in the optical properties of the grains. A mix of amorphous olivine-and pyroxene-type silicate broadens the silicate features. An amorphous carbon mantle with a thickness of 10 nm on the silicate grains leads to an increase in absorption on the short-wavelength side of the 10 µm silicate band. Conclusions.The assumption of amorphous olivine-type and pyroxene-type silicates and a 10 nm thick amorphous carbon mantle better matches the interstellar silicate band profiles. Including iron nano-particles leads to an increase in the mid-IR extinction, while up to 5 ppm of sulphur can be incorporated as Fe/FeS nano inclusions into silicate grains without leaving a significant trace of its presence.

Context. The Planck-HFI all-sky survey from 353 to 857 GHz combined with the IRAS data at 100 µm (3000 GHz, IRIS version of the data) show that the dust properties vary from line of sight to line of sight in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) at high Galactic latitude (10 19 N H 2.5 × 10 20 H/cm 2 , for a sky coverage of ∼12%). Aims. These observations contradict the usual thinking of uniform dust properties, even in the most diffuse areas of the sky. Thus, our aim is to explain these variations with changes in the ISM properties and with evolution of the grain properties. Methods. Our starting point is the latest core-mantle dust model. This model consists of small aromatic-rich carbon grains, larger amorphous carbonaceous grains with an aliphatic-rich core and an aromatic-rich mantle, and amorphous silicates (mixture of olivine and pyroxene types) with Fe/FeS nano-inclusions covered by aromatic-rich carbon mantles. We explore whether variations in the radiation field or in the gas density distribution in the diffuse ISM could explain the observed variations. The dust properties are also varied in terms of their mantle thickness, metallic nano-inclusions, carbon abundance locked in the grains, and size distributions. Results. We show that variations in the radiation field intensity and gas density distribution cannot explain variations observed with Planck-HFI but that radiation fields harder than the standard ISRF may participate in creating part of the observed variations. We further show that variations in the mantle thickness on the grains coupled with changes in their size distributions can reproduce most of the observations. We concurrently put a limit on the mantle thickness of the silicates, which should not exceed ∼10 to 15 nm, and find that aromatic-rich mantles are definitely needed for the carbonaceous grain population with a thickness of at least 5 to 7.5 nm. We also find that changes in the carbon cosmic abundance included in the grains could explain part of the variations in dust observations. Finally, we show that varying the composition of metallic nano-inclusions in the silicates cannot account for the variations, at the same time showing that the amount of FeS they contain cannot be >50% by volume. Conclusions. With small variations in the dust properties, we are able to explain most of the variations in the dust emission observed by Planck-HFI in the diffuse ISM. We also find that the small realistic changes in the dust properties that we consider almost perfectly match the anti-correlation and scatter in the observed β − T relation.

Context. Many dense interstellar clouds are observable in emission in the near-IR (J, H, and K photometric bands), commonly referred to as "Cloudshine", and in the mid-IR (Spitzer IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 μm bands), the so-called "Coreshine". These C-shine observations have usually been explained in terms of grain growth but no model has yet been able to self-consistently explain the dust spectral energy distribution from the near-IR to the submm. Aims. Our new core/mantle evolutionary dust model, The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model at the IaS (THEMIS), has been shown to be valid in the far-IR and submm. We want to demonstrate its ability to reproduce the C-shine observations. Methods. Our starting point is a physically motivated core/mantle dust model. It consists of three dust populations: small polyaromatic-rich carbon grains, bigger core/mantle grains with mantles of aromatic-rich carbon, and cores made of either amorphous aliphatic-rich carbon or amorphous silicate. Then, we assume an evolutionary path where these grains, when entering denser regions, may first form a second aliphatic-rich carbon mantle (coagulation of small grains, accretion of carbon from the gas phase), second coagulate together to form large aggregates, and third accrete gas phase molecules coating them with an ice mantle. To compute the corresponding dust emission and scattering, we use a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. Results. We show that our global evolutionary dust modelling approach THEMIS allows us to reproduce C-shine observations towards dense starless clouds. Dust scattering and emission is most sensitive to the cloud central density and to the steepness of the cloud density profile. Varying these two parameters leads to changes that are stronger in the near-IR, in both the C-shine intensity and profile. Conclusions. With a combination of aliphatic-rich mantle formation and low-level coagulation into aggregates, we can selfconsistently explain the observed C-shine and far-IR/submm emission towards dense starless clouds.

Compiling data from the literature, we found that the gas thermal pressure increases with the intensity of the UV radiation field given by , following a trend in line with recent simulations of the photoevaporation of illuminated edges of molecular clouds. This relation can help rationalising the analysis of high-J CO emission in massive star formation and provides an observational constraint for models that study stellar feedback on molecular clouds.