Chemistry of the solar nebula

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1973 · Space Sci. Rev., v. 15, no. 1, pp. 103-119

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2658-1_6· OSTI ID:4420914

Larimer, J W

The composition, mineralogy, and texture of chondritic meteorites suggest they are relatively unaltered relicts of the condensation and accretion processes which took place in the primitive solar nebula. Chondrites thus are thought to contain a unique record of the physico-chemical conditions which prevailed at the time and place (asteroid belt) of their origin. Elemental abundance patterns are an important clue to the events and processes. Most elements can be placed in one of four groups according to their observed fractionation behavior in chondritic material; refractory, siderophile, normally depleted, and strongly depleted. This grouping can be explained in terms of four events which presumably took place during cooling, condensation, and accretion in the nebula. In order of inferred occurrence these are: (1) partial loss of the initial condensates rich in refractory elements at T> 1300K, (2) partial loss of metallic Fe--Ni grains, perhaps because they were magnetic, at 1000 to 700 K, (3) partial remelting and outgassing of the condensate (chondrule formation) at 600 to 350 K, and (4) accretion, when the P-T conditions controlled the volatile content (500 to 350 K). Total gas pressure at the time and place of accretion is estimated to fall between 10/sup -6/ and 10/sup -4/ atm. (auth)

• Research Organization: Arizona State Univ., Tempe
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-29-008521
• OSTI ID: 4420914
• Journal Information: Space Sci. Rev., v. 15, no. 1, pp. 103-119, Journal Name: Space Sci. Rev., v. 15, no. 1, pp. 103-119; ISSN SPSRA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*METEORITES-- CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
*SOLAR SYSTEM-- CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ABUNDANCE
ELEMENTS
N56400* --Physics (Astrophysics & Cosmology)--Solar Phenomena