>If any energy from the stars is absorbed, it would have to be re-emitted eventually. Not necessarily at the same wavelength - that would depend on the temperature of the dust and gas - but the same amount of energy would have to be emitted again.

The light would be absorded on the light source side of the dust particle, and if it is then retransmitted as say infrared it would transmitted mainly in the direction that it was absorbed, with only a little of it at 90 degs to the absorption direction i.e. none of it is retransmitted in the direction it was originally travelling.

You have to remember that infrared exchanges occur in the nano second timescale which gives little or no time for conductive thermal transfer accross the particle, and remember the entropic process will normalize the area asap.

I beg to differ on the dissipation rates, I will see if I can find a reference for you