Early Solar System Research Articles

Photochemical escape of atomic C and N on Mars during the X8.2 solar flare on 10 September 2017

Context. Characterizing the response of the upper Martian atmosphere to solar flares could provide important clues as to the climate evolution of the red planet in the early Solar System, when the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray radiation was substantially higher than the present-day level and when these events occurred more frequently. A critical process herein is the Martian atmospheric escape in the form of atomic C and N, as mainly driven by CO2/CO and N2 dissociation. Aims. This study is devoted to evaluating how these escape rates varied on the dayside of Mars during the X8.2 solar flare on 10 September 2017. Methods. The background Martian atmospheric structures, before, during, and after the flare, are constructed from the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer measurements made on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, from which the hot C and N production rate profiles via different photon and photoelectron impact channels and on different flare stages are obtained. They are combined with the respective escape probability profiles computed using a test particle Monte Carlo approach to derive the atomic C and N escape rates on the dayside of Mars. Results. Our calculations indicate that the pre-flare C and N escape rates are (1.3−1.4) × 1024 s−1 over the dayside of Mars. During the event, we find a modest decrease in the C escape rate of 8% about 1 h after the flare peak, followed by a recovery to the pre-flare level several hours later. However, an opposite trend is found for the N escape rate during the same period, which shows an increase of 20% followed by a recovery to the pre-flare level. Conclusions. The distinction between C and N in terms of the variation in the escape rate during the solar flare reflects the competition between two flare-induced effects: enhanced hot atom production via dissociation and enhanced collisional hindrance due to atmospheric expansion.

Interpebble contact radius in a comet nucleus

ABSTRACTIn recent years, the gravitational collapse of pebble clumps in the early Solar system has been regarded as a plausible scenario for the origin of comets. In this context, ‘pebbles’ represent mm- to cm-sized dust aggregates composed of (sub)micron-sized dust particles, and the structure of km-sized comets is thought to be an agglomerate of pebbles. The contact radius for pebble–pebble contacts was modelled in an earlier study; however, the pressure dependence of the interpebble contact radius was not considered. Here, we revisit the interpebble contact radius in a comet nucleus. We calculated the interpebble contact radius based on JKR contact theory, and we took into consideration the effect of lithostatic pressure. We found that the interpebble contact radius varies with depth from the surface, and the earlier model underestimated it by one order of magnitude at the centre of the comet nucleus.

Elemental and triple oxygen isotope geochemistry of new Northwest Africa (NWA) ordinary chondrites (L5, L6): Implications for onion-shell to rubble-pile OC parent body structure

The new L-type ordinary chondrites (OCs) are characterized by fayalite (25.7–26.1 mol%) and ferrosillite (21.5–22.2 mol%) contents in olivine and low-Ca pyroxene, respectively. The Fe/Mg and Fe/Mn ratios in olivine, as well as oxygen isotope compositions in bulk samples, compared to those of other impact-related brecciated OCs (e.g., NWA 869, L3-6, Ghubara, L5) and olivine from Itokawa dust particles. The data demonstrate a correlation between Fe/Mg and Fe/Mn ratios in olivine, and comparability in oxygen isotope compositions between the newly analyzed L-type meteorites and various clasts of NWA 869 used as a proxy for rubble-pile asteroid. Furthermore, these ratios from bulk and olivine of equilibrated ordinary chondrites (EOC) derived from the literature data fall close to the co-variation line (1:1). However, the ratios of different fractions in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOC) such as chondrules, clasts, and matrix, do not fall close to the co-variation line. The coupled anti-correlation trend observed between the bulk and olivine ratios in EOC (i.e., H, L, and LL) is primarily due to variations in the total Fe content caused by redox reactions of silicate to metal in the nebula and metal to silicate in the parent body. The proposed scenario for the formation and evolution of larger asteroids in the early solar system suggests that the they accreted and evolved as an onion-shell structure, and over time, they may have undergone internal heating due to radioactive decay. The internal heating may have caused metal-silicate segregation and thermal metamorphism. Eventually, catastrophic impacts may have caused the fragmentation of the asteroid into smaller pieces. Later, gravitational collapse reassembled the parent asteroid's fragments into several daughter asteroids that resembled rubble-piles, with the H-chondrites representing the deepest part and the L- and LL-chondrites representing the outer parts of the larger asteroid(s). Additionally, the oxygen isotope compositions of new L-chondrites are similar to those of the impact-related clasts in brecciated chondrites NWA 869, indicating that they have a shared L-type parent asteroid that was once part of a larger asteroid.

Short-lived radioisotope enrichment in star-forming regions from stellar winds and supernovae

ABSTRACT The abundance of the short-lived radioisotopes 26Al and 60Fe in the early Solar system is usually explained by the Sun either forming from pre-enriched material, or the Sun’s protosolar disc being polluted by a nearby supernova explosion from a massive star. Both hypotheses suffer from significant drawbacks: the former does not account for the dynamical evolution of star-forming regions, while in the latter the time for massive stars to explode as supernovae can be similar to, or even longer than, the lifetime of protoplanetary discs. In this paper, we extend the disc enrichment scenario to include the contribution of 26Al from the winds of massive stars before they explode as supernovae. We use N-body simulations and a post-processing analysis to calculate the amount of enrichment in each disc, and we vary the stellar density of the star-forming regions. We find that stellar winds contribute to disc enrichment to such an extent that the Solar system’s 26Al/60Fe ratio is reproduced in up to 50 per cent of discs in dense ($\tilde{\rho } = 1000$ M⊙ pc−3) star-forming regions. When winds are a significant contributor to the SLR enrichment, we find that Solar system levels of enrichment can occur much earlier (before 2.5 Myr) than when enrichment occurs from supernovae, which start to explode at later ages (>4 Myr). We find that Solar system levels of enrichment all but disappear in low-density star-forming regions ($\tilde{\rho } \le 10$ M⊙ pc−3), implying that the Solar system must have formed in a dense, populous star-forming region if 26Al and 60Fe were delivered directly to the protosolar disc from massive-star winds and supernovae.

Titanium and chromium isotopic compositions of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions: Implications for the sources of isotopic anomalies and the formation of distinct isotopic reservoirs in the early Solar System

As the earliest-dated solids in our Solar System, calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) provide a record of their formation environment near the young Sun and hold clues to the formation of planetary-scale isotopic reservoirs in the solar protoplanetary disk. Although CAIs from several CV, CK, CM, CO, and ordinary chondrites have been analyzed previously for their Ti isotopic compositions, CAIs from just three CV chondrites have been analyzed for their Cr isotopic compositions, and only a handful of CAIs have been measured for both their Ti and Cr isotopic compositions. We report mass-independent Ti and Cr isotopic anomalies in several CAIs from CV and CK chondrites; this is the first report of the Cr isotopic composition of a CAI from a CK chondrite. With these additional data, we aim to better constrain the compositional range of CAIs in ε50Ti versus ε54Cr space, thereby facilitating the isotopic characterization of the material inherited by the solar protoplanetary disk and the role of CAIs in the formation of distinct planetary-scale isotopic reservoirs in our early Solar System. The narrow range in isotopic anomalies in CAIs when compared to other early-formed refractory inclusions such as platy hibonite crystals (PLACs) and spinel-hibonite inclusions (SHIBs) suggests that CAIs record the mixing of these precursor materials and the averaging of their larger isotopic anomalies. The isotopic composition of CAIs is therefore likely the result of a combination of factors, including mixing of material inherited from their formation region, heterogeneous carrier phase distribution, and thermal processing in the disk. The ε50Ti and ε54Cr isotopic compositions of CAIs are not correlated, further demonstrating that these isotopic anomalies have different carrier phases. The Ti and Cr isotopic compositions of CAIs additionally show that CAIs alone cannot be responsible for the compositional difference between the non-carbonaceous chondritic (NC) and carbonaceous chondritic (CC) isotopic reservoirs but nevertheless do play a role in the formation of these large-scale isotopic reservoirs in the early Solar System.

Degassing of early-formed planetesimals restricted water delivery to Earth.

The timing of delivery and the types of body that contributed volatiles to the terrestrial planets remain highly debated1,2. For example, it is unknown if differentiated bodies, such as that responsible for the Moon-forming giant impact, could have delivered substantial volatiles3,4 or if smaller, undifferentiated objects were more probable vehicles of water delivery5-7. Here we show that the water contents of minerals in achondrite meteorites (mantlesorcrusts of differentiated planetesimals) from both the inner and outer portions of the early Solar System are ≤2 μg g-1 H2O. These are among the lowest values ever reported for extraterrestrial minerals. Our results demonstrate that differentiated planetesimals efficiently degassed before or during melting. This finding implies that substantial amounts of water could only have been delivered to Earth by means of unmelted material.

Protracted Timescales for Nebular Processing of First-formed Solids in the Solar System

The calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from chondritic meteorites are the first solids formed in the solar system. Rim formation around CAIs marks a time period in early solar system history when CAIs existed as free-floating objects and had not yet been incorporated into their chondritic parent bodies. The chronological data on these rims are limited. As seen in the limited number of analyzed inclusions, the rims formed nearly contemporaneously (i.e., <300,000 yr after CAI formation) with the host CAIs. Here we present the relative ages of rims around two type B CAIs from NWA 8323 CV3 (oxidized) carbonaceous chondrite using the 26Al–26Mg chronometer. Our data indicate that these rims formed ∼2–3 Ma after their host CAIs, most likely as a result of thermal processing in the solar nebula at that time. Our results imply that these CAIs remained as free-floating objects in the solar nebula for this duration. The formation of these rims coincides with the time interval during which the majority of chondrules formed, suggesting that some rims may have formed in transient heating events similar to those that produced most chondrules in the solar nebula. The results reported here additionally bolster recent evidence suggesting that chondritic materials accreted to form chondrite parent bodies later than the early-formed planetary embryos, and after the primary heat source, most likely 26Al, had mostly decayed away.

Soluble organic molecules in samples of the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu.

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected samples from the surface of the carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu and brought them to Earth. The samples were expected to contain organic molecules, which record processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We analyzed organic molecules extracted from the Ryugu surface samples. We identified a variety of molecules containing the atoms CHNOS, formed by methylation, hydration, hydroxylation, and sulfurization reactions. Amino acids, aliphatic amines, carboxylic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds were detected, which had properties consistent with an abiotic origin. These compounds likely arose from an aqueous reaction on Ryugu's parent body and are similar to the organics in Ivuna-type meteorites. These molecules can survive on the surfaces of asteroids and be transported throughout the Solar System.

Measurement of Microscopic Thermal Diffusivity Distribution for Ryugu Sample by Infrared Lock-in Periodic Heating Method

The thermophysical properties of small Solar System bodies are essential to be determined, on which the thermal evolution of small bodies largely depends. The carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu is one of the small undifferentiated bodies formed in the early Solar System. Hayabusa2 explored the asteroid Ryugu and returned the surface samples in 2020 for detailed on-ground investigation, including measurements of thermal properties. Because the available sample amount was limited, this study developed a novel method to measure the thermal diffusivity of small and irregularly shaped samples of about 1 mm in diameter by combining lock-in thermography and periodic heating methods on the microscale. This method enables us to measure the thermal diffusivity of both flat-plate and granular shape samples by selecting the suitable detecting direction of the temperature response. Especially, when the sample has a flat-plate shape, the anisotropic distribution of the in-plane thermal diffusivity can be evaluated. This method was applied to six Ryugu samples, and the detailed anisotropic distribution of the thermal diffusivity was obtained. The measurement results showed that the samples show local thermal anisotropy caused by cracks and voids. The average thermal diffusivity among all samples was (2.8 to 5.8) × 10−7 m2·s. Based on the density and specific heat of the samples obtained independently, the thermal effusivity was estimated to be 791 J·(s1/2·m2·K) to 1253 J·(s1/2·m2·K), which is defined as the resistance of surface temperature to the change of thermal input. The determined thermal effusivity, often called thermal inertia in planetary science, is larger than the observed value of 225 ± 45 J· (s1/2·m2·K) of the asteroid Ryugu's surface, obtained from the diurnal temperature change of the rotating asteroid by a thermal infrared camera onboard Hayabuas2. This difference is likely to be attributed to the difference in the analytical scale between the sample and the surface boulders compared with the thermal diffusion length. Consequently, it was found that the present result is more representative of the thermal diffusivity and thermal inertia of local part of individual Ryugu particles.

Melt migration in rubble-pile planetesimals: Implications for the formation of primitive achondrites

Primitive achondrites represent residual mantle material of planetesimals from which up to 20% partial melts were extracted. Melting experiments on chondritic compositions suggest that melts produced by ≲20% partial melting are rich in silica and alkali elements. Such melts are highly viscous (≳103Pa⋅s), and percolation models predict that they would only migrate negligible distances over timescales of 1–10Myr. After these timescales, a planetesimal would either be melted into a magma ocean by radiogenic heating from Al26, if it formed early; or it would cool below solidus, if it formed relatively late. However, melt migration is also controlled by permeability, which could be high for aggregates of rock boulders (compared to those of mineral grains). Specifically, the theory of planet formation suggests that collisions occurred frequently between planetesimals in the early solar system. These collisions may have shattered the planetesimals into fragments with sizes of meters to tens of meters, which would have accreted gravitationally into one or more daughter bodies. We develop a model to investigate melt migration in “rubble-pile” planetesimals; in particular, the melt exchange between partially molten rock boulders and the void space between them. The results suggest that, with typical properties of primitive achondrite materials at the conditions of low-degree partial melting, melts may have been squeezed into the voids between boulders, and migrated rapidly through these channels. Therefore, primitive achondrites may record melt migration in rubble-pile bodies reaccreted from fragments of partially molten planetesimals.

Strontium isotope evidence for the repeated formation of refractory inclusions in the Allende meteorite

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) in chondrite meteorites are the oldest rocks in the Solar System and were formed by condensation from nebular gas. Recent mass spectrometric measurements have revealed that CAIs possess nucleosynthetic isotopic compositions different from those of terrestrial materials for various elements, indicating a heterogeneous distribution of nuclides from various stellar sources in the early Solar System. CAIs are classified into coarse-grained (CGs) and fine-grained (FGs) inclusions. The former have experienced secondary melting through thermal events after their formation, while the latter evidently avoided the remelting. Thus, FGs are considered to be direct condensates from a high-temperature gas, making them ideal for the investigation of the origin and formation process of CAIs. In this study, the elemental abundances and Sr isotopic compositions in eight FGs from a carbonaceous chondrite Allende were analyzed by utilizing a micromilling technique. These FG samples were found to have rare-earth element (REE) patterns reflecting various degrees of elemental fractionation and variable µ84Sr values ranging from 61 to 844 ppm. It cannot be ruled out that matrix contamination during micromilling or secondary alteration on the Allende parent body has affected the elemental abundances and µ84Sr values observed in FGs to some extent; however, the large variation in µ84Sr values could reflect the variability in the FG formation processes. Importantly, REE-fractionated FGs, which were depleted in heavy REEs relative to light REEs, had relatively high µ84Sr values. This suggests that the formation of REE-fractionated FGs was triggered by rapid heating events, such as FU Orionis that occurred periodically in the early Solar System, and that at least two different heating events probably formed FGs with two different µ84Sr values.

Tracking and dating incipient melting of a new grouplet of primitive achondrites

Primitive achondrites, representing ‘transitional’ samples between chondrites and differentiated achondrites, provide a great opportunity to decode the thermal histories of planetesimals in the early solar system. In this work, we report a comprehensive study of petrography, mineralogy, O-Cr isotopes and 53Mn-53Cr systematics of four ungrouped primitive achondrites, Northwest Africa (NWA) 12869, NWA 3250, NWA 11112, and Tafassasset. High resolution X-ray tomographic microscopy (HR-XTM) observations yield the 3D spatial distributions of metal, sulfide, and plagioclase, providing the direct petrologic evidence for incipient melting. In NWA 12869, NWA 3250, and NWA 11112, only FeNi-FeS eutectic melting occurs, with small fractions of metal and sulfide melt and amalgamate sporadically. As for Tafassasset, in addition to common metal and sulfide melt, plagioclase (±pyroxene) extensively melts and interconnects to form networks, with the generation of basaltic melts. The 53Mn-53Cr systematics in NWA 12869 [initial 53Mn/55Mn of (3.24 ± 0.32) × 10−6] and Tafassasset [initial 53Mn/55Mn of (3.48 ± 0.20) × 10−6] are determined with mineral separates and bulk samples. When anchored to the D’Orbigny angrite, NWA 12869 has a 53Mn-53Cr age of 4563.4 ± 0.6 Ma, while Tafassasset has an age of 4563.8 ± 0.4 Ma. The Mn-Cr ages of NWA 12869 and Tafassasset record the time of incipient melting within their parent bodies.Considering that NWA 12869, NWA 3250, and NWA 11112 exhibit the same olivine-dominated (47–69 vol%) mineral assemblages with recrystallized textures and a great similarity in mineral chemistry (olivine: Fa35–38; pyroxene: Fs27–30Wo3.0–3.5; plagioclase: An47–50; chromite: Cr#: 74–76; Mg#: 14.0–14.6), oxygen fugacity (IW-2 to IW-1), as well as 54Cr nucleosynthetic anomalies (ε54Cr: 1.01 ± 0.09 to 1.44 ± 0.18) and oxygen isotopes (Δ17O: −1.72 to −1.78 ± 0.05‰), we first classify them into a new grouplet of primitive achondrites, different from Tafassasset. This grouplet does not share a parent body with CR chondrites, but rather derives from incipient melting of a carbonaceous chondrite parent body which formed in a nebular reservoir physically close to that sampled by CR chondrites. More chondrite, differentiated achondrite, and/or iron samples associated with this new grouplet would provide further constraints on the rate and onset time of accretion, as well as the interior structure of the planetesimal in the outer solar system.

The noble gas and nitrogen relationship between Ryugu and carbonaceous chondrites

Carbonaceous chondrites are considered to have originated from C-type asteroids and represent some of the most primitive material in our solar system. Furthermore, since carbonaceous chondrites can contain significant quantities of volatile elements, they may have played a crucial role in supplying volatiles and organic material to Earth and other inner solar system bodies. However, a major challenge of unravelling the volatile composition of chondritic meteorites is distinguishing between which features were inherited from the parent body, and what may be a secondary feature attributable to terrestrial weathering. In December 2020, the Hayabusa2 mission of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully returned surface material from the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu to Earth. This material has now been classified as closely resembling CI-type chondrites, which are the most chemically pristine meteorites. The analysis of material from the surface of Ryugu therefore provides a unique opportunity to analyse the volatile composition of material that originated from a CI-type asteroid without the complications arising from terrestrial contamination. Given their highly volatile nature, the noble gas and nitrogen inventories of chondrites are highly sensitive to different alteration processes on the asteroid parent body, and to terrestrial contamination. Here, we investigate the nitrogen and noble gas signature of two pelletized grains collected from the first and second touchdown sites (Okazaki et al., 2022a), to provide an insight into the formation and alteration history of Ryugu. The concentration of trapped noble gas in the Ryugu samples is greater than the average composition of previously measured CI chondrites and are primarily derived from phase Q, although a significant contribution of presolar nanodiamond Xe-HL is noted. The large noble gas concentrations coupled with a significant contribution of presolar nanodiamonds suggests that the Ryugu samples may represent some of the most primitive unprocessed material from the early solar system. In contrast to the noble gases, the abundance of nitrogen and δ15N composition of the two Ryugu pellets are lower than the average CI chondrite value. We attribute the lower nitrogen abundances and δ15N measured in this study to the preferential loss of a 15N-rich phase from our samples during aqueous alteration on the parent planetesimal. The analyses of other grains returned from Ryugu have shown large variations in nitrogen concentrations and δ15N indicating that alteration fluids heterogeneously interacted with material now present on the surface of Ryugu. Finally, the ratio of trapped noble gases to nitrogen is higher than CI chondrites, and is closer to refractory phase Q and nanodiamonds. This indicates that Ryugu experienced aqueous alteration that led to the significant and variable loss of nitrogen, likely from soluble organic matter, without modification of the noble gas budget, which is primarily hosted in insoluble organic matter and presolar diamonds and is therefore more resistant to aqueous alteration.

Carbon depletion in the early Solar system

ABSTRACT Earth and other rocky objects in the inner Solar system are depleted in carbon compared to objects in the outer Solar system, the Sun, or the ISM. It is believed that this is a result of the selective removal of refractory carbon from primordial circumstellar material. In this work, we study the irreversible release of carbon into the gaseous environment via photolysis and pyrolysis of refractory carbonaceous material during the disc phase of the early Solar system. We analytically solve the one-dimensional advection equation and derive an explicit expression that describes the depletion of carbonaceous material in solids under the influence of radial and vertical transport. We find both depletion mechanisms individually fail to reproduce Solar system abundances under typical conditions. While radial transport only marginally restricts photodecomposition, it is the inefficient vertical transport that limits carbon depletion under these conditions. We show explicitly that an increase in the vertical mixing efficiency, and/or an increase in the directly irradiated disc volume, favours carbon depletion. Thermal decomposition requires a hot inner disc (&amp;gt;500 K) beyond 3 au to deplete the formation region of Earth and chondrites. We find FU Ori-type outbursts to produce these conditions such that moderately refractory compounds are depleted. However, such outbursts likely do not deplete the most refractory carbonaceous compounds beyond the innermost disc region. Hence, the refractory carbon abundance at 1 au typically does not reach terrestrial levels. Nevertheless, under specific conditions, we find photolysis and pyrolysis combined to reproduce Solar system abundances.

A unified chronology of dust formation in the early solar system

The chronology of dust formation in the early solar system remains controversial. Chondrules are the most abundant high-temperature objects formed during the evolution of the circumsolar disk. Considering chondrule formation, absolute lead‑lead (PbPb) ages and aluminum‑magnesium (26Al26Mg) ages relative to calcium‑aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) provide inconsistent chronologies, with PbPb ages showing early and protracted chondrule formation episodes whereas 26Al26Mg ages suggest that chondrule production was delayed by >1.5 Ma. Here, we develop a new method to precisely determine in situ26Al26Mg ages of spinel-bearing chondrules, which are not affected by secondary asteroidal processes. Our data demonstrate that 26Al26Mg chondrule formation ages are actually 1 Ma older than previously thought and extend over the entire lifetime of the disk. This shift in chondrule formation ages relative to CAIs, however, is not sufficient to reconcile the PbPb and 26Al26Mg chronologies of chondrule and achondrite formation. Thus, either chondrules' PbPb ages and volcanic achondrites' 26Al26Mg ages are incorrect or the age of CAIs should be reevaluated at 4,568.7 Ma to ensure consistency between chronometers. We favor the second hypothesis, given that (i) the canonical age of CAIs was determined using only 4 specimens and (ii) older ages of 4,568.2 Ma have also been measured. We show that the adoption of 4,568.7 Ma as the new canonical age of CAIs and the use of our new spinel-derived 26Al26Mg ages enable reconciling the PbPb and 26Al26Mg ages of chondrules and achondrites. This new chronology implies the existence of a 0.7–1 Ma gap between the formation of refractory inclusions and chondrules, and supports the homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the circumsolar disk.

Evidence for Enrichment of Niobium-92 in the Outer Protosolar Disk

The short-lived radionuclide, niobium-92 (92Nb), has been used to estimate the site of nucleosynthesis for p-nuclei and the timing of planetary differentiation, assuming that it was uniformly distributed in the early solar system. Here, we present the internal niobium–zirconium (Nb–Zr) isochron dating of Northwest Africa (NWA) 6704, an achondrite thought to form in the outer protosolar disk due to nucleosynthetic isotope similarities with carbonaceous chondrites. The isochron defines an initial 92Nb/93Nb ratio of (2.72 ± 0.25) × 10−5 at the NWA 6704 formation, 4562.76 ± 0.30 million years ago. This corresponds to a 92Nb/93Nb ratio of (2.96 ± 0.27) × 10−5 at the time of solar system formation, which is ∼80% higher than the values obtained from meteorites formed in the inner disk. The results suggest that a significant proportion of the solar 92Nb was produced by a nearby core-collapse supernova (CCSN) and that the outer disk was more enriched in CCSN ejecta, which could account for the heterogeneity of short-lived 26Al and nucleosynthetic stable-isotope anomalies across the disk. We propose that NWA 6704 serves as the best anchor for mapping relative Nb–Zr ages of objects in the outer solar system onto the absolute timescale.

Asymmetry in the number of L4 and L5 Jupiter Trojans driven by jumping Jupiter

Context. More than 10 000 Jupiter Trojans have been detected so far. They are moving around the L4 and L5 triangular Lagrangian points of the Sun-Jupiter system and their distributions can provide important clues about the early evolution of the Solar System. Aims. The number asymmetry of the L4 and L5 Jupiter Trojans is a longstanding problem. We aim to test a new mechanism in order to explain this anomalous feature by invoking the jumping-Jupiter scenario. Methods. First, we introduce the orbital evolution of Jupiter caused by the giant planet instability in the early Solar System. In this scenario, Jupiter could undergo an outward migration at a very high speed. We then investigate how such a jump changes the numbers of the L4 (N4) and L5 (N5) Trojans. Results. The outward migration of Jupiter can distort the co-orbital orbits near the Lagrangian points, resulting in L4 Trojans being more stable than the L5 ones. We find that this mechanism could potentially explain the unbiased number asymmetry of N4/N5 ~ 1.6 for the known Jupiter Trojans. The uncertainties of the system parameters, such as Jupiter’s eccentricity and inclination as well as the inclination distribution of Jupiter Trojans, are also taken into account and our results about the L4/L5 asymmetry have been further validated. However, the resonant amplitudes of the simulated Trojans are excited to higher values compared to the current population. A possible solution is that collisions among the Trojans may reduce their resonant amplitudes.

Short-lived Radionuclides in the Milky Way Galaxy

The short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) have a half-life ≤ 100 Myr. The γ-ray observations and excess abundance of their daughter nuclides in various meteoritic phases confirm the existence of SLRs in the Galaxy and early solar system (ESS), respectively. In this work, we have developed Galactic Chemical Evolution (GCE) models for SLRs, 26Al, and 60Fe along with 36Cl, 41Ca, and 53Mn. These models predict the temporal and spatial evolution of SLR abundance trends in the Galaxy from 2-18 kpc. The abundance of two SLRs, 26Al, and 60Fe, are investigated further, as their γ-ray observations are available for comparison with the model predictions. The predictions for the abundance per unit area for each ring show the decreases from the inner to outer regions of the Galaxy. The GCE predictions for the total mass of alive 26Al, and 60Fe in 2-18 kpc of the Galaxy at present time are 0.2 M⊙ and 0.08 M⊙, respectively.

Analysis methods to determine the bound-state beta-decay half-life of Thallium-205

Bound-state β−-decay is an exotic decay mode that produces temperature-dependent stability in nuclei. A striking example is 205Tl, in part because of its impact on the 205Pb/204Pb cosmochronometer—a short-lived ra-dionuclide clock that can provide unique constraints on s process material in the early solar system. The bound-state β−-decay of 205Tl was measured at GSI, where fully stripped 205Tl81+ ions were produced and stored in the Experimental Storage Ring. Decay occurred during storage producing increased 205Pb daughters with increased storage time. This contribution briefly outlines the experiment and describes analytical corrections required to extract the half-life.

Inviscid protostellar disc ring formation and high-density ring edges due to the ejection and subsequent infall of material onto a protostellar disc

Abstract Discs of gas and dust are ubiquitous around protostars. Hypothetical viscous interactions within the disc are thought to cause the gas and dust to accrete onto the star. Turbulence within the disc is theorised to be the source of this disc viscosity. However, observed protostellar disc turbulence often appears to be small and not always conducive to disc accretion. In addition, theories for disc and planet evolution have difficulty in explaining the observed disc rings/gaps which form much earlier than expected. Protostellar accretion discs are observed to contain significant quantities of dust and pebbles. Observations also show that some of this material is ejected from near the protostar, where it travels to the outer regions of the disc. Such solid infalling material has a relatively small amount of angular momentum compared to the material in the disc. This infalling material lowers the angular momentum of the disc and should drive a radial flow towards the protostar. We show that the local radial accretion speed of the disc is proportional to the mass rate of infalling material onto the disc. Higher rates of infall onto the disc implies higher radial accretion disc speeds. As such, regions with high rates of infall of gas, dust, and pebbles onto the disc will produce gaps on relatively short timescales in the disc, while regions associated with relative low rates of infalling material will produce disc rings. As such, the inner edge of a disc gap will tend to have a higher surface density, which may enhance the probability of planet formation. In addition, the outer edge of a disc gap will act as a dust trap and may also become a site for planet formation. For the early Solar System, such a process may have collected O $^{16}$ -poor forsterite dust from the inner regions of the protosolar disc and O $^{16}$ -rich CAIs and AOAs from the inner edge regions of the protosolar disc, thereby constructing a region favourable to the formation of pre-chondritic planetesimals.