Search results for "Astrochemistry"
showing 2 items of 12 documents
DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR CONDENSATION IN THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NEBULAR COOLING RATES
2009
We have identified in an acid resistant residue of the carbonaceous chondrite Murchison a large number (458) of highly refractory metal nuggets (RMNs) that once were most likely hosted by Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs). While osmium isotopic ratios of two randomly selected particles rule out a presolar origin, the bulk chemistry of 88 particles with sizes in the submicron range determined by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy shows striking agreement with predictions of single-phase equilibrium condensation calculations. Both chemical composition and morphology strongly favor a condensation origin. Particularly important is the presence of structurally incompatible elements in particl…
Ortho-H2 and the age of prestellar cores
2013
Prestellar cores form from the contraction of cold gas and dust material in dark clouds before they collapse to form protostars. Several concurrent theories exist to describe this contraction but they are currently difficult to distinguish. One major difference is the timescale involved in forming the prestellar cores: some theories advocate nearly free-fall speed via, e.g., rapid turbulence decay, while others can accommodate much longer periods to let the gas accumulate via, e.g., ambipolar diffusion. To tell the difference between these theories, measuring the age of prestellar cores could greatly help. However, no reliable clock currently exists. We present a simple chemical clock based…