kristalstelsels

kristalstelsels, or crystal stellar systems, is a term used in speculative astronomy and science fiction to describe a class of star systems in which crystalline materials play a dominant role in the circumstellar environment or on orbiting bodies. In such systems, the presence of extensive crystalline silicates and related minerals in protoplanetary disks or on planetary regolith leads to distinctive observational signatures, including infrared features and elevated albedo.

The main characteristics of kristalstelsels are crystalline-dominated mineralogy in the disk or surface layers, strong infrared emission at wavelengths associated with silicate minerals, and light scattering effects produced by well-ordered crystal facets. These properties are often tied to particular thermal histories, such as annealing of dust grains in the inner disk or surfaces that experience repeated heating and cooling cycles.

Formation theories describe crystallisation occurring when silicate grains experience temperatures sufficient to reorganise their lattice structures, followed by transport and aggregation in the disk. Over time, collisions and accretion can lock crystals into planetary surfaces or rings, yielding a system where crystalline signatures persist.

Currently, kristalstelsels are not recognized as a confirmed category in observational astronomy. Real-world studies of protoplanetary disks do observe crystalline silicates, but they are described within broader disk mineralogy rather than as a separate class. In fiction and speculative science, the term is used to evoke visually striking environments and novel planetary processes.

In scientific contexts, kristalstelsels illustrate how mineralogy and thermal history might influence planet formation, but they remain a concept rather than a catalogued type of star system.