Formation processes and time scales for meteorite parent bodiesThe transition from small particles suspended in the solar nebula to the planetesimals (asteroids) that became the parent bodies of meteorites is examined. Planetesimals probably grew by coagulation of grain aggregates that collided due to different rates of settling and drag-induced orbital decay. Their growth was accompanied by radial transport of solids, possibly sufficient to deplete the primordial mass in the asteroid zone, but with relatively little mixing. The formation of asteroid-sized planetesimals was probably rapid, on a time scale less than 1 Myr.
Document ID
19890040120
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Weidenschilling, S. J. (Planetary Science Institute Tucson, AZ, United States)