CHONDRULE FORMATION IN IMPACT PLUMESTHE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESSES OCCURRING IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT RESULT IN THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF PLANETESIMALS AND PLANETARY BODIES. TO THIS END WE WILL SYNTHESIZE PREVIOUSLY OBTAINED COSMOCHEMICAL DATA ON CHONDRULES MILLIMETER-SIZED IGNEOUS SILICATE SPHERES FOUND IN ABUNDANCE IN CHONDRITES-FROM THE BENCUBBINITE AND CH/CB "BENCUBBIN-LIKE" METEORITES DEVELOPING AN ASTROPHYSICAL MODEL FOR THEIR FORMATION. IN PARTICULAR OUR MODEL WILL HELP TO CONSTRAIN THE DENSITY OF NEBULAR GAS AT THE IME OF THEIR FORMATION LATE IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOLAR NEBULA.

The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York

Investigators