Recent JWST observations have revealed that some galaxies at z ≳ 7 generally exhibit relatively flat ultraviolet (UV) attenuation curves and a weak UV bump. These features suggest that the first dust grains formed rapidly, possibly originating from core-collapse supernovae (SNe). We investigate the time evolution of grain size distributions and extinction curves in the early phase of dust enrichment for different parameters of progenitor stars, rotation velocities, metallicity, and interstellar medium densities, including the effect of the reverse shock. We model a single starburst system assuming an initial mass function. Extinction curves are calculated from the grain size distribution for each dust species. The total dust-to-stellar mass ratio at 30 Myr is M_dust/M_⋆∼ 10^-3 before the passage of the reverse shock, but we find it to be at most M_dust/M_⋆∼ 10^-5 due to the destruction effect of the reverse shock. This effect destroys grains smaller than ∼ 10 nm and makes amorphous carbon the dominant species, resulting in a flatter extinction curve with a wide bump at 2500 A compared to the no-reverse shock models. We find that our models are consistent with the observed attenuation curve and emissivity of high-redshift galaxies and show that the reverse shock processing significantly affects dust enrichment and grain properties such as extinction curves and emissivity in supernova yields for high-redshift galaxies.

Observations of the rest-frame far-infrared (far-IR) emission of galaxies suggest a mild increase of dust temperature T_ dust with redshift, although constraining T_ dust in high-redshift systems remains challenging due to limited sampling of the far-IR spectral energy distribution (SED). We present and discuss the redshift evolution of T_ dust predicted by a cosmological galaxy evolution simulation with dust treatment, and interpret its dependence on other galaxy physical properties. We use a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation that includes an explicit treatment of dust, post-processed with radiative transfer. Dust temperatures are derived by applying modified blackbody SED fitting to the simulated galaxies, mirroring the methodology adopted in most observational studies. The dust temperature of simulated galaxies increases with redshift, in broad agreement with observational results. A feature-importance analysis reveals that the star formation rate surface density Σ_ SFR and the dust-to-gas ratio (DTG) are the main drivers of dust temperature, tracing the intensity of the interstellar radiation field and the optical depth of warm molecular clouds, respectively. Galaxies with higher star formation rate surface density and lower DTGs - common conditions at high-z - are associated with warmer dust. We provide a simple relation to estimate DTG from Σ_ SFR, T_ dust, and redshift. Variations in dust grain size and chemical composition have a negligible impact on T_ dust. Our results are particularly relevant to the study of dust properties with observations of high-z galaxies, where far-IR dust emission is not fully sampled.

Aims. DustPedia and Local Volume Legacy (LVL) are two samples representative of the local galaxy population, including in total ∼1000 unique objects of all morphological types, with a wide range of stellar masses and star formation activity, and a spectral coverage from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared. The purpose of this work is to show that these samples cover two complementary ranges in stellar mass and galaxy morphology, making them an ideal set for constraining the dominant processes in the evolution of the galactic dust content. Methods. Using the multi-wavelength data provided by the two surveys, we fitted the galaxies’ spectral energy distribution and estimated their physical properties, in particular the stellar mass, M*, the specific dust mass, sMdust = Mdust/M*, and the specific star formation rate, sSFR = SFR/M*. Results. By combining DustPedia and LVL, we highlight that the trend of log10(sMdust) with log10(M*) is not monotonic. Thanks to a large number of objects across a wide range of M*, we have been able to fit two smoothly joined linear correlations: a positive one for log10(M*/M⊙)≲9.5 (a range populated mostly by LVL late spirals and irregulars), and a negative one for larger-mass, mainly DustPedia, spirals (with early-type galaxies being distinct and more dispersed in the same mass regime). For log10(M*/M⊙) > 9.5, we confirm a strong correlation between sMdust and sSFR; dwarf galaxies, instead, lie below this trend, showing a large scatter of sMdust for −10.5 < log10(sSFR/yr−1) < − 9.0. By using chemical evolution models we find that the observed log10(sMdust)–log10(M*) and log10(sMdust)–log10(sSFR) trends can be interpreted mainly by variations in the initial gas mass budget and the galaxy ages, respectively. Low-mass Sm-Irr galaxies with low sMdust and a high sSFR can only be reproduced by the models by assuming a highly efficient photofragmentation rate of large grains, and/or low grain growth in clouds.

DustPedia and LVL are two samples representative of the local galaxy population, including in total 1011 unique objects of all morphological types, with a wide range of stellar masses (M_*) and star-formation activity, and a spectral coverage from the FUV to the FIR. The purpose of this work is to show that these samples cover two complementary ranges in M_* and morphology, making them an ideal set for constraining the dominant processes in the evolution of the galactic dust content. Using the multiwavelength data provided by the two surveys, we fitted the galaxies' spectral energy distribution and estimated their physical properties, in particular the M_*, sM_dust=M_dust/M_*, and sSFR = SFR/M_*. By combining DustPedia and LVL, we highlight that the log_10(sM_ dust)-log_10(M_*) trend is not monotonic. Thanks to a large number of objects across a wide range of M_*, we have been able to fit two smoothly-joined linear correlations: a positive for log_10(M_*/M_⊙)≲9.5 (mainly LVL late spirals and irregulars), and a negative one for larger-mass, mainly DustPedia spirals (early types are distinct and more dispersed in the same mass regime). For log_10(M_*/M_⊙)>9.5, we confirm a strong sM_dust-sSFR correlation; dwarf galaxies, instead, lie below this trend, with a large scatter of sM_ dust, for -10.5<log_10(sSFR/yr^-1)<-9.0. By using chemical evolution models we find that the observed log_10(sM_ dust)-log_10(M_*) and log_10(sM_ dust)-log_10(sSFR) trends can be interpreted mainly by variations in the initial gas mass budget and the galaxy ages, respectively. Low-mass Sm-Irr galaxies with low sM_ dust and high sSFR can only be reproduced by the models by assuming high photofragmentation rate of large grains, and/or low grain-growth in clouds.

Context: Understanding the interstellar medium (ISM) requires high-resolution, multi-component mapping to capture its complex physical structure. Nearby spiral galaxies, with their abundant and diverse ISM, provide an ideal laboratory for such a comprehensive analysis at sub-galactic scales. Aims: We investigate dust-to-gas (DGR) and dust-to-metal (DMR) ratios as a functions of gas-phase metallicity (Z), on spatial scales ranging from 0.6 to 2.3 kpc, in a sample of 10 nearby spiral galaxies, spanning more than an order of magnitude in stellar mass (9.7 ≤log(M_*/M_⊙) ≤11.0), star formation rate (SFR, ∼0.3–3 M_⊙ yr^-1) and metallicity ranging from 8.3 ≲12 + log( O/H) ≲8.8. We explore how the DGR-Z and DMR-Z relations are shaped by the assumptions behind the CO-to-H_2 conversion factor (α_CO). Methods: We homogeneously combine maps of dust, atomic gas, molecular gas, and metallicity. Motivated by the diversity in L_CO(1-0)/SFR ratios and metallicity across our sample, we introduce a hybrid α_CO prescription to distinguish between CO-bright and CO-dark regimes. The derived DGR-Z and DMR-Z relations are compared with other global and resolved observational results, and with the predictions of dust and chemical evolution models. Results: Both DGR-Z and DMR-Z relations are dependent on the adopted α_CO prescription, and no single α_CO can reproduce the properties of the entire sample, motivating the use of a hybrid approach. The DGR increases with metallicity, spanning ∼1 dex across the sampled range; while the DMR remains approximately constant at log(DMR) = -0.53 ±0.13, implying that ∼30 % of metals are locked into dust grains. This flat behavior indicates an evolved dust phase where efficient ISM grain growth drives a saturation regime balancing dust formation and destruction.

We present new spectroscopic observations of the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) of NGC 891 taken with the Mid-Infrared Imager/Medium Resolution Spectroscopy instrument on board JWST, in four positions: two near the bulge and two at galactocentric radii (r) of ∼1.5, 4.7 kpc. Each pair of pointings has one position along the minor axis (h) at ∼0.5 kpc and one at ∼1 kpc away from the mid-plane. We analysed 1D spectra and 3D cubes using the dust emission model PAHFIT to extract properties of typical mid-IR features. These spectra reveal that the earlier reported mid-IR emission out to 4 kpc is dominated by the emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and not hot dust continuum, thus providing direct evidence of the survival of PAHs in the inner CGM of NGC 891. Comparing PAH band ratios with other environments (Orion, M51), it is obvious that the 11.2 μm PAH feature – and not the usual 7.7 μm – dominates in NGC 891, which seems to imply the presence of more neutral, large PAHs in the CGM. Overall, PAH-to-continuum ratios show little variations with scale-height and radius in NGC 891, which suggests little PAH processing. However, we do see a decrease in the PAH feature strengths with the [Ne III]/[Ne II] ratio, which points to elevated dust processing with increased radiation field hardness. We also confirm a tight correlation between H2 and PAH features, which suggests that the two tracers must be co-spatial, and hence implies that PAH emission predominantly arises from cool dense parts of cloudlets entrained in galactic outflows. Finally, we report the clear detection of a previously unidentified PAH feature at 16.72 μm.

Supernovae (SNe) are believed to be the dominant sources of dust production at high redshift. However, the reverse shock generated by the interaction of the SN forward shock and the interstellar medium (ISM) can significantly reduce the mass of newly formed dust in SN ejecta. This study quantifies the mass, composition, and grain size distribution of surviving dust after the passage of the reverse shock using the GRASHrev model. Our analysis covers a grid of SN models with progenitor masses of 13 M-circle dot <= m(star) <= 120 M-circle dot and metallicity -3 <= [Fe/H] <= 0, and we explore, for the first time, the effect of stellar rotation, considering two initial velocities v = 0 and 300 km s(-1). The SN explosions are assumed to occur in a uniform ISM with densities n(ISM) = 0.05, 0.5, and 5 cm(-3). We find that the larger grains (greater than or similar to 10 nm) are more resistant to destruction by the reverse shock, with amorphous carbon dominating the surviving dust mass in most models. The surviving dust mass decreases with increasing ISM density. For nonrotating progenitors, the maximum mass of dust surviving the passage of the reverse shock is similar or equal to 0.02 M-circle dot, and it is released by SN explosions of a 120 M-circle dot progenitor with [Fe/H] = 0 in the ISM density 0.5 cm(-3), corresponding to similar or equal to 4% of the initial dust mass before the passage of the reverse shock. Similarly, among the rotating progenitors, the maximum surviving mass fraction is similar or equal to 5%, with a final dust mass of similar or equal to 0.03 M-circle dot in [Fe/H] = -1 models. Although the reverse shock has a strong destructive impact, our results indicate that on very short timescales of less than or similar to 30 Myr since the onset of star formation, SNe can enrich the ISM with carbonaceous grains ranging in size from approximately 1 nm to 100 nm (up to similar or equal to 1 mu m in nonrotating models). This is especially notable given the recent detection of the 2175 & Aring; UV extinction bump in galaxies at z > 6, suggesting the early presence of such dust.

We present new spectroscopic observations of the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) of NGC 891 taken with the Mid-Infrared Imager/Medium Resolution Spectroscopy instrument onboard JWST, in four positions: two near the bulge and two at galactocentric radii (r) of 1.5, 4.7 kpc. Each pair of pointings has one position along the minor axis (h) at 0.5 kpc and one at 1 kpc away from the mid-plane. We analyse both 1D spectra and 3D cubes using the dust emission model PAHFIT to extract properties of typical mid-IR features. These spectra reveal that the earlier reported mid-IR emission out to 4 kpc is dominated by the emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and not hot dust continuum, providing direct evidence of the survival of PAHs in the inner CGM of NGC 891. Comparing PAH band ratios with other environments (Orion, M51), it is obvious that the 11.2 μm PAH feature – and not the usual 7.7 μm – dominates in NGC 891, which seems to imply the presence of more neutral, large PAHs in the CGM. Overall, PAH-to-continuum ratios show little variations with scale-height and radius in NGC 891, which suggests little PAH processing. However, we do see a decrease in the PAH feature strengths with the [Ne III]/[Ne II] ratio, pointing at elevated dust processing with increased radiation field hardness. We also confirm a tight correlation between H2 and PAH features, suggesting that both tracers must be co-spatial and, hence, implying that PAH emission predominantly arises from cool dense parts of cloudlets entrained in galactic outflows. Finally, we report the clear detection of a previously unidentified PAH feature at 16.72 μm.

Context. Dust is a fundamental component of the interstellar medium (ISM) and plays a critical role in shaping galaxy evolution. Dust grains influence the ISM by cooling the gas, altering its chemistry, absorbing stellar radiation, and re-emitting it at longer wavelengths in the FIR and submillimetre (sub-mm) regimes. The cold dust component, which constitutes the majority of the dust mass, is primarily heated by stellar radiation, with contributions from both young, massive stars and the diffuse emission from older stellar populations. It is essential to discern how dust is heated to better understand the relationship between stellar populations and their surrounding environments. Aims. This study aims to identify the dominant heating mechanisms responsible for the cold dust component in typical nearby spiral galaxies and to explore the contributions of both young and evolved stellar populations to dust heating. Methods. Using a sample of 18 large, face-on spiral galaxies from the DustPedia project, we employed two complementary approaches. In the first method, we studied the correlations between the dust temperature (Tdust), star-formation rate (SFR) surface density (SigmaSFR), and stellar mass surface density (SigmaM*). In the second method, we explored the relationship between Tdust and the dust mass surface density (Sigmadust). Results. By analyzing the median temperature radial profile, we find that Tdust peaks at similar to 24 K at the galaxy centre, decreasing to similar to 15 K toward the galaxy outskirts. Our analysis shows similar Tdust in galaxies with and without a central active galactic nucleus (AGN), suggesting that AGN activity does not significantly influence Tdust values and distribution on the spatial scales covered by our data, which range from 0.3 to 3 kpc. For similar to 72% of the galaxies in our sample, the methods consistently identify the primary dust heating source. However, when considering the entire galaxy sample, our analysis suggests that there is no single dominant heating mechanism. We find that both young and evolved stars contribute to dust heating, with their relative contributions varying across galaxies.

The properties of interstellar dust grains are being scrutinized more than ever before, with the advent of large facilities. Infrared emission from dust grains is a powerful asset that can help constrain their physical and chemical properties. Among these, the relative ratio of carbon-rich to silicate-rich grains remains one that has not yet been investigated thoroughly due to the lack of dedicated instruments and modeling limitations. We quantify the modeling degeneracies inherent to constraining the far-infrared (far-IR) slope of the dust emission spectral energy distribution. Used as a proxy for the silicate-to-carbon ratio, we find that recovering the far-IR slope is affected by the estimate of the local radiation field and the input abundances of different grain species. We show that PRIMA's hyperspectral imaging will lead to better constrained local radiation fields, which will aid-together with PRIMA's polarization capabilities-to better constrain the silicate-to-carbon ratio in M31, and how it spatially varies within the galaxy. (c) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI. [DOI: 10.1117/1.JATIS.11.3.031623]

We develop a few science cases, using the PRIMA far-infrared (FIR) probe, aimed at achieving several breakthroughs in our understanding of the dust properties and their evolution. We argue that the specific observational capabilities of PRIMA, namely, its unprecedented sensitivity over the whole FIR range and the possibility to obtain continuous spectra between lambda=24 and 235 mu m, are essential to progress in our understanding of the physics of the interstellar medium (ISM) and galaxy evolution. Our science cases revolve around observations of nearby galaxies. We discuss the importance of detecting the IR emission of the diffuse ISM of these galaxies, including very low-metallicity systems. We also discuss the opportunity of detecting various solid-state features to understand the mineralogy of interstellar grains. Finally, we stress the unique opportunity brought by the possible simultaneous measures of both the dust continuum and the FIR fine-structure gas lines. These science cases could be distributed in a few large programs. (c) 2025 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Molecular gas is the key ingredient in the star formation cycle, and tracing its dependencies on other galaxy properties is essential for understanding galaxy evolution. In this work, we explore the relation between the different phases of the interstellar medium (ISM), namely molecular gas, atomic gas, and dust, and galaxy properties using a sample of nearby late-type galaxies. To this end, we collected CO maps that cover at least 70% of the optical extent for 121 galaxies from the DustPedia project, which ensured an accurate determination of MH2, the global molecular gas mass. We investigated which scaling relations provide the best description of MH2, based on the strength of the correlation and its intrinsic dispersion. We found that the commonly used correlations between MH2 and star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (Mstar), respectively, are affected by large scatter, which accounts for galaxies that are experiencing quenching of their star formation activity. This issue can be partially mitigated by considering a "fundamental plane" of star formation, fitting together MH2, Mstar, and SFR. We confirm previous results from the DustPedia collaboration that the total gas mass has the tightest connection with the dust mass, and that the molecular component also establishes a good correlation with dust once map-based MH2 estimates are used. Although dust grains are necessary for the formation of hydrogen molecules, the strength of gravitational potential driven by the stellar component plays a key role in driving density enhancements and the atomic-to-molecular phase transition. By investigating the correlations between the various components of the ISM and monochromatic luminosities at different wavelengths, we propose mid- and far-IR luminosities as reliable proxies of LCO(1-0)' for those sources that lack dedicated millimeter observations. Luminosities in mid-IR photometric bands collecting PAH emission can be used to trace molecular gas and dust masses.

We investigate the star formation process across the disk of M33 using a multiwavelength dataset and disk dynamics. We computed numerically equilibrium values of gas densities and scale heights across the disk, taking into account dark matter and testing several analytic approximations that are often used to estimate these variables and the hydrostatic pressure. Orthogonal regressions and hierarchical Bayesian models, as well as random forest (RF) analyses, were used to establish the fundamental relations at physical scales from 160 pc to 1 kpc. The gas pressure, is the main driver of the star formation rate (SFR) surface density throughout the whole star-forming disk of M33. High-pressure regions enhance the atomic-to-molecular gas conversion, with the molecular hydrogen mass surface density being tightly correlated to pressure and a uniform scaling law throughout the M33 disk. The relation between pressure and SFR surface density differs, showing a change in slope from the inner to the outer disk. Scaling laws do not depend on the physical scale and brings out an intrinsic scatter linked to variations in the efficiency and relative age of the molecular gas-to-stars conversion. In the inner disk, where spiral arms are present and the stellar surface density dominates gravity, the pressure and SFR surface densidy establish an almost linear correlation with a smaller dispersion than that of the molecular gas – SFR surface density relation. In the atomic gas-dominated outer disk, the SFR density has a steeper dependence on pressure, which we propose could be the result of an increasing fraction of diffuse molecular gas that does not form stars.

The Solar Tower, a characteristic feature of Arcetri hill and emblem of the Observatory’s transition to astrophysics studies, was inaugurated one hundred years ago, on 22 June 1925. We celebrate the anniversary by transcribing the account of the inauguration and the speech given by the director of the Observatory Giorgio Abetti.

Clusters of galaxies are unique laboratories for investigating the dependence of galaxy evolution on their environment. The Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey (HeViCS) mapped the central similar to 84-deg(2) region of the Virgo Cluster in five bands between 100 and 500 mu m, which resulted in the first detailed view of cold dust in cluster galaxies. Major limitations of the HeViCS survey were the lack of data, or its limited availability, in the 20 to 80 mu m range, and the quite low sensitivity of the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer instrument, resulting in poor constraints on the warmer dust component. The PRIMAger instrument onboard PRIMA offers the capability to map a large portion of the Virgo Cluster-including regions beyond its virial radius-in hyperspectral and polarimetric bands from 25 to 265 mu m, enabling a direct comparison with the area previously covered by HeViCS. By combining PRIMA and Herschel data with existing multi-wavelength photometry, it becomes possible to explore the connection between stellar and dust properties in a complete sample of cluster galaxies, to investigate environmental effects on the warm dust component within the Virgo Cluster, to map the magnetic field structure of the cold interstellar medium (ISM), to search for dust emission from the intra-cluster medium, and to study the ISM in background galaxies projected behind the cluster. (c) 2025 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.JATIS.11.3.031638]

In the nineteenth century, thirteen comets were discovered, and many more were observed, from the city of Florence, Italy. One of the most remarkable discoveries was the great comet Donati (C/1858 L1). This chapter traces the history of the comet-hunters active in Florence (Jean-Louis Pons, Giovan Battista Donati, Wilhelm Tempel), highlighting the transition from classical studies of celestial mechanics to the emerging field of astrophysics. Furthermore, we focus on Donati's involvement in the controversy about the comet 3/D Biela and the related spread of a hoax: the alleged impact of a comet with the Earth expected (or rather, invented) for 12 August 1872. We conclude that Florence was indeed "the headquarters of comets'', as von Zach hoped for in 1825, but only at national level. The city that boasted the largest number of discoveries of comets in the nineteenth century is, in fact, Marseille.

We exploit the DustPedia sample of galaxies within approximately 40 Mpc, selecting 388 sources, to investigate the correlations between IR luminosity (LIR), the star formation rate (SFR), and the CO(1-0) luminosity (LCO) down to much lower luminosities than reached by previous analyses. We find a sub-linear dependence of the SFR on LIR. Below log(LIR/L⊙)≃10 or SFR≃1M⊙yr−1, the SFR/LIR ratio substantially exceeds the standard ratio for dust-enshrouded star formation, and the difference increases with decreasing LIR values. This implies that the effect of unobscured star formation overcomes that of dust heating by old stars, at variance with results based on the Planck ERCSC galaxy sample. We also find that the relations between the LCO and LIR or the SFR are consistent with those obtained at much higher luminosities.

We present new JWST observations of the nearby, prototypical edge-on, spiral galaxy NGC 891. The northern half of the disk was observed with NIRCam in its F150W and F277W filters. Absorption is clearly visible in the mid-plane of the F150W image, along with vertical dusty plumes that closely resemble the ones seen in the optical. A ∼ 10 × 3 kpc^2 area of the lower circumgalactic medium (CGM) was mapped with MIRI F770W at 12 pc scales. Thanks to the sensitivity and resolution of JWST, we detect dust emission out to ∼ 4 kpc from the disk, in the form of filaments, arcs, and super-bubbles. Some of these filaments can be traced back to regions with recent star formation activity, suggesting that feedback-driven galactic winds play an important role in regulating baryonic cycling. The presence of dust at these altitudes raises questions about the transport mechanisms at play and suggests that small dust grains are able to survive for several tens of million years after having been ejected by galactic winds in the disk-halo interface. We lay out several scenarios that could explain this emission: dust grains may be shielded in the outer layers of cool dense clouds expelled from the galaxy disk, and/or the emission comes from the mixing layers around these cool clumps where material from the hot gas is able to cool down and mix with these cool cloudlets. This first set of data and upcoming spectroscopy will be very helpful to understand the survival of dust grains in energetic environments, and their contribution to recycling baryonic material in the mid-plane of galaxies.

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) is proposed as a new facility dedicated to the efficient delivery of spectroscopic surveys. This white paper summarises the initial concept as well as the corresponding science cases. WST will feature simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view (3 sq. degree), a high multiplex (20,000) multi-object spectrograph (MOS) and a giant 3x3 sq. arcmin integral field spectrograph (IFS). In scientific capability these requirements place WST far ahead of existing and planned facilities. Given the current investment in deep imaging surveys and noting the diagnostic power of spectroscopy, WST will fill a crucial gap in astronomical capability and work synergistically with future ground and space-based facilities. This white paper shows that WST can address outstanding scientific questions in the areas of cosmology; galaxy assembly, evolution, and enrichment, including our own Milky Way; origin of stars and planets; time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics. WST's uniquely rich dataset will deliver unforeseen discoveries in many of these areas. The WST Science Team (already including more than 500 scientists worldwide) is open to the all astronomical community. To register in the WST Science Team please visit https://www.wstelescope.com/for-scientists/participate

We introduce a new, multi-zone chemical evolution model of the DustPedia galaxy M74, calibrated by means of MCMC methods. We take into account the observed stellar and gas density profiles and use Bayesian analysis to constrain two fundamental parameters characterising the gas accretion and star formation timescale, i.e. the infall timescale tau and the SF efficiency nu, respectively, as a function of galactocentric radius R. Our analysis supports an infall timescale increasing with R and a star formation efficiency decreasing with R, thus supporting an 'Inside-Out' formation for M74. For both tau and nu, we find a weaker radial dependence than in the Milky Way. We also investigate the dust content of M74, comparing the observed dust density profile with the results of our chemical evolution models. Various prescriptions have been considered for two key parameters, i.e. the typical dust accretion timescale and the mass of gas cleared out of the dust by a supernova remnant, regulating the dust growth and destruction rate, respectively. Two models with a different current balance between destruction and accretion, i.e. with equilibrium and dominion of accretion over destruction, can equally reproduce the observed dust profile of M74. This outlines the degeneracy between these parameters in shaping the interstellar dust content in galaxies. Our methods will be extended to more DustPedia galaxies to shed more light on the relative roles of dust production and destruction.