Fire and Water in the Early Solar System: Tales of Volcanism and Sources of Water on Planetesimals
When
Where
Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa
Director, Center for Meteorite Studies
Arizona State University
Recent developments in field of cosmochemistry include both analytical advances as well as access to new and unique extraterrestrial materials. This talk will touch on aspects of both that have allowed insights into processes and their time scales on planetesimals and planetary embryos in the early history of the Solar System. Specifically, I will discuss some recent work in my laboratory where we have precisely dated the timing of formation of the most siliceous volcanic rock from the crust of a planetesimal and its implications. I will also present hydrogen isotope data from anhydrous minerals in rocks from the differentiated asteroid Vesta that provide new constraints on the source of water in the terrestrial planets.