Composition of Cosmic Dust: Sources and Implications for the Early Solar System

Research Article| June 01, 2016 Composition of Cosmic Dust: Sources and Implications for the Early Solar System George J. Flynn; George J. Flynn 1Dept. of Physics, SUNY-PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY 12901, USAE-mail: george.flynn@plattsburgh.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Larry R. Nittler; Larry R. Nittler 2Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of WashingtonWashington, DC 20015, USAE-mail: lnittler@carnegiescience.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Cécile Engrand Cécile Engrand 3Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière, CNRS/IN2P3-Univ. Paris Sud – UMR8609, Université Paris-SaclayBatiment 104, 91405 Orsay Campus, FranceE-mail: cecile.engrand@csnsm.in2p3.fr Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elements (2016) 12 (3): 177–183. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.3.177 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation George J. Flynn, Larry R. Nittler, Cécile Engrand; Composition of Cosmic Dust: Sources and Implications for the Early Solar System. Elements 2016;; 12 (3): 177–183. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.3.177 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Many cosmic dust particles have escaped the aqueous and thermal processing, the gravitational compaction, and the impact shocks that often overprint the record, in most larger samples, of how Solar System materials formed. The least-altered types of cosmic dust can, therefore, act as probes into the conditions of the solar protoplanetary disk when the first solids formed. Analyses of these "primitive" particles indicate that the protoplanetary disk was well mixed, that it contained submicron grains formed in a diversity of environments, that these grains were aerodynamically transported prior to aggregation, which was likely aided by organic grain coatings, and that some minerals that condensed directly from the disk are not found in other materials. These protoplanetary aggregates are not represented in any type of meteorite or terrestrial rock. They can only be studied from cosmic dust. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.