New Insights into the Formation of Early Solar System Planetesimals

Recent research by Damanveer S. Grewal and colleagues, titled "Accretion of the earliest inner solar system planetesimals beyond the water-snowline," investigates the formation and chemical composition of early planetesimals in the inner solar system. The study, submitted to arXiv on August 30, 2024, focuses on the potential formation regions of these planetesimals, specifically the silicate condensation line and the water-snowline within the solar protoplanetary disk.

The authors utilized ratios of iron to nickel (Fe/Ni) and iron to cobalt (Fe/Co) found in magmatic iron meteorites to assess the oxidation states of these early planetesimals. Their findings indicate that the earliest non-carbonaceous (NC) planetesimals contained significant amounts of oxidized iron in their mantles, suggesting that these bodies accreted water-bearing materials. This challenges previous assumptions that these planetesimals formed solely from water-free materials at the silicate condensation line.

The research concludes that the formation of oxidized planetesimals from water-bearing materials was likely widespread during the early history of the inner solar system. This has implications for understanding the chemical evolution of the solar system and the processes that led to the formation of terrestrial planets. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the role of water in the accretion processes of early solar system bodies.

For further details, the full paper can be accessed at arXiv: 2408.17032.