Carbon and silicate grains in the laboratory as analogues of cosmic dust

Carbon and silicate grains are the two main components of cosmic dust. There is increasing spectroscopic evidence that their composition varies according to the cosmic environment and the experienced processing. Irradiation from ultraviolet photons and cosmic rays, as well as chemical interactions with the interstellar gas play a crucial role for grain transformation. The study of 'laboratory analogues' represents a powerful tool to better understand the nature and evolution of cosmic materials. In particular, simulations of grain processing are fundamental to outline an evolutionary pathway for interstellar particles. In the present work, we discuss the ultraviolet and infrared spectral changes induced by thermal annealing, ultraviolet irradiation, ion irradiation and hydrogen atom bombardment in carbon and silicate analogue materials. The laboratory results give the opportunity to shed light on the long-standing problems of the attribution of ultraviolet and infrared interstellar spectral features.