Lifetime of the solar nebula constrained by meteorite paleomagnetism

• Autores: Huapei Wang, Benjamin P. Weiss
• Localización: Science, ISSN 0036-8075, Vol. 355, Nº 6325, 2017, págs. 623-627
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The young solar system contained a disc of gas and dust within which planet formation occurred. The disc eventually dissipated after the Sun ignited and the planets formed, but exactly when that happened has been difficult to determine. Wang et al. measured tiny magnetic fields preserved in angrites, an ancient type of meteorite. They interpret a drop in magnetic field strength about 4 million years after the solar system formed as a sign that the gas had cleared—along with the magnetic field that it carried. The results will enhance our understanding of planet formation, both in our solar system and around other Sun-like stars.