Laboratory Studies on Silicates Relevant for the Physics of TNOs

Silicates are one of the principal components present in Solar System objects.Silicates evolve in space modifying their physical properties according to theastronomical environments they go through. To characterise the nature of TNOsin the framework of the formation and evolution of the Solar System, experimentson structural transitions of silicates have been performed in the laboratoryto simulate some of the processing suffered by the dust. The infrared spectralproperties of possible silicate candidates thought to be present in TNOs have beenstudied. The results of thermal annealing of amorphous silicates and amorphisationof crystalline forsterite (pure-Mg olivine) by ion irradiation are presented. Theobservable properties of TNOs surfaces are inferred.