* Astronomy

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Home -> Astronomy News -> Solar System -> Earth carbon deficit
Post Info TOPIC: Earth carbon deficit
Blobrana


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
RE: Earth carbon deficit
Permalink  
 

Title: The Solar Nebula on Fire: A Solution to the Carbon Deficit in the Inner Solar System
Authors: Jeong-Eun Lee, Edwin A. Bergin, Hideko Nomura

Despite a surface dominated by carbon-based life, the bulk composition of the Earth is dramatically carbon poor when compared to the material available at formation. Bulk carbon deficiency extends into the asteroid belt representing a fossil record of the conditions under which planets are born. The initial steps of planet formation involve the growth of primitive sub-micron silicate and carbon grains in the Solar Nebula. We present a solution wherein primordial carbon grains are preferentially destroyed by oxygen atoms ignited by heating due to stellar accretion at radii < 5 AU. This solution can account for the bulk carbon deficiency in the Earth and meteorites, the compositional gradient within the asteroid belt, and for growing evidence for similar carbon deficiency in rocks surrounding other stars.

Read more (55kb, PDF)

__________________
Blobrana


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

Carbon deficit on Earth tied to fire in Solar System

Though our planet supports carbon-based life, it has a mysterious carbon deficit, but the element is thousands of times more abundant in comets in the outer solar system than on the earth, even the sun is rich in carbon.
The conventional explanation for the deficit is that in the inner region of the dust disc where earth formed, temperatures soared above 1800 Kelvin, enough for carbon to boil away.
But observations of developing solar systems suggested that at earth's distance from the sun, the temperature would be too cool to vaporise carbon dust.
Now a team of astronomers from Sejong University in Seoul and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor said fire sweeping through the inner solar system had "scorched away much of the carbon from earth and the other inner planets".

Read more

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Home -> Astronomy News -> Solar System -> Earth carbon deficit


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard