Dust Production in Luminous Blue Variables and Supernovae

Abstract: Large quantities of dust are known to exist in high-z galaxies and quasars; however, the origin of this dust remains unknown. Core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are viewed as a likely source of dust production due to their short lifetimes and large output of metals; however, SNe may be just as efficient in destroying dust. Other modes of dust production have therefore been suggested: asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, and luminous blue variables (LBVs). I will talk about the dust production in CCSNe and the hostile environment around LBVs as well as dust destruction in CCSNe. I will link these theories to explain the presence of dust surrounding LBVs in the Galactic center recently observed by SOFIA/FORCAST, and address the recent results of dust discovered in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant and SN1987.