Clustering of the abundant SiO molecules has been discussed as a possible
mechanism of seed particle formation for silicate dust in stellar outflows with
an oxygen rich element mixture. Previous results indicated that condensation
temperatures based on this mechanism are significant lower than what is really
observed. This negative result strongly rests on experimental data on vapour
pressure of SiO. New determinations show the older data to be seriously in
error. Here we aim to check with improved data the possibility that SiO
nucleation triggers the cosmic silicate dust formation. First we present
results of our measurements of vapour pressure of solid SiO. Second, we use the
improved vapour pressure data to re-calibrate existing experimental data on SiO
nucleation from the literature. Third, we use the re-calibrated data on SiO
nucleation in a simple model for dust-driven winds to determine the
condensation temperature of silicate in stellar outflows from AGB stars. We
show that onset of nucleation under circumstellar conditions commences at
higher temperature than was previously found. Calculated condensation
temperatures are still by about 100 K lower than observed ones, but this may be
due to the greenhouse effect of silicate dust temperatures. The assumption that
the onset of silicate dust formation in late-type M stars is triggered by
cluster formation of SiO is compatible with dust condensation temperatures
derived from IR observations.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure
