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Chapter 15: Problem 20

What is the evidence that carbonaceous chondrites are essentially unaltered relics of the early solar system? What do they suggest about how the solar system may have formed?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Carbonaceous chondrites are considered unaltered relics because they have not gone through the same level of heating and melting as other meteorites, maintaining their original composition. Their high water content, and differing ratio of oxygen isotopes, suggests they were formed in the cooler outer regions of the solar nebula, reinforcing their 'unaltered' status. This also offers insights into the formation of the solar system, suggesting it formed from a solar nebula with a temperature gradient across it.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Carbonaceous Chondrites

Carbonaceous chondrites are a type of meteorite that is rich in carbon compounds, thus their name. They differ from most other meteorites, as they have not gone through the same level of heating and melting. This characteristic suggests that they may retain much of the original composition from when they formed, making them essentially unaltered relics of the early solar system.
02

Evidence of being Unaltered

Evidence that they are unaltered relics of the early solar system comes from their composition. For one, they have a high water content, revealing they likely formed in cooler outer regions of the solar nebula. Furthermore, the ratio of oxygen isotopes in these meteorites differs from that on earth or moon but is consistent with the isotopic composition expected of the primitive solar nebula. These factors indicate that carbonaceous chondrites have retained their original composition, thus suggesting they are unaltered relics of the early solar system.
03

Implications of Solar System Formation

Carbonaceous chondrites suggest that the solar system formed from a solar nebula, a cloud of gas and dust. Their compositions indicate that there would have been a temperature gradient across the solar nebula, with high temperatures in the inner regions leading to formation of rocky planets like earth, and much cooler outer regions where ices and organic materials could exist and form bodies like carbonaceous chondrites.

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