Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids
Abstract Chondrules are a characteristic feature of primitive Solar System materials and are common in all primitive meteorites except the CI-chondrites. They are thought to form owing to melting of solid dust aggregates by energetic processing within the solar nebula and thus record fundamental pro...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61357-1 |
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| author | Matthew J. Genge Natasha V. Almeida Matthias van Ginneken Lewis Pinault Tobias Salge Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz Hajime Yano Steven J. Desch |
| author_facet | Matthew J. Genge Natasha V. Almeida Matthias van Ginneken Lewis Pinault Tobias Salge Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz Hajime Yano Steven J. Desch |
| author_sort | Matthew J. Genge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Chondrules are a characteristic feature of primitive Solar System materials and are common in all primitive meteorites except the CI-chondrites. They are thought to form owing to melting of solid dust aggregates by energetic processing within the solar nebula and thus record fundamental processes within protoplanetary disks. We report the discovery of abundant altered microchondrules (>350 ppm) with modal sizes of 6–8 µm within sample A0180 from C-type asteroid Ryugu. These microchondrules have similar log-normal size and shape distributions to normal-sized chondrules, implying evolution by similar size-sorting. We suggest here formation of microchondrules in an outer Solar System chondrule factory, located in the Jovian pressure-bump, followed by turbulent diffusion and concentration relative to chondrules by intense turbulence. Meridional flows could have also separated microchondrules from chondrules and deliver them sunwards of the pressure bump via Lindblad torque flows. Contrary to conventional wisdom we thus propose that the concentration of fine-grained, unprocessed grains could mean the most primitive asteroids did not have to form at the largest heliocentric distances. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8103a3e5f9ad4e03b19cb5336b043cc6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-8103a3e5f9ad4e03b19cb5336b043cc62025-08-20T04:03:02ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611910.1038/s41467-025-61357-1Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroidsMatthew J. Genge0Natasha V. Almeida1Matthias van Ginneken2Lewis Pinault3Tobias Salge4Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz5Hajime Yano6Steven J. Desch7Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College LondonPlanetary Materials Group, Natural History MuseumCentre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of KentDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck CollegePlanetary Materials Group, Natural History MuseumPlanetary Materials Group, Natural History MuseumDepartment of Interdisciplinary Space Science, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State UniversityAbstract Chondrules are a characteristic feature of primitive Solar System materials and are common in all primitive meteorites except the CI-chondrites. They are thought to form owing to melting of solid dust aggregates by energetic processing within the solar nebula and thus record fundamental processes within protoplanetary disks. We report the discovery of abundant altered microchondrules (>350 ppm) with modal sizes of 6–8 µm within sample A0180 from C-type asteroid Ryugu. These microchondrules have similar log-normal size and shape distributions to normal-sized chondrules, implying evolution by similar size-sorting. We suggest here formation of microchondrules in an outer Solar System chondrule factory, located in the Jovian pressure-bump, followed by turbulent diffusion and concentration relative to chondrules by intense turbulence. Meridional flows could have also separated microchondrules from chondrules and deliver them sunwards of the pressure bump via Lindblad torque flows. Contrary to conventional wisdom we thus propose that the concentration of fine-grained, unprocessed grains could mean the most primitive asteroids did not have to form at the largest heliocentric distances.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61357-1 |
| spellingShingle | Matthew J. Genge Natasha V. Almeida Matthias van Ginneken Lewis Pinault Tobias Salge Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz Hajime Yano Steven J. Desch Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids Nature Communications |
| title | Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids |
| title_full | Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids |
| title_fullStr | Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids |
| title_short | Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids |
| title_sort | abundant microchondrules in 162173 ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61357-1 |
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