Ancient Meteorites Reveal Magnetic Field That Helped Form the Sun
- A powerful magnetic field likely helped feed the early sun during the formation of the solar system, according to research published August 24 in the Proceedings of the...
- The research team analyzed a meteorite that fell to Earth in 2008, focusing on specific mineral inclusions known as calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions.
- Cauê Borlina, a planetary scientist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., stated that these inclusions are forming before everything else.
A powerful magnetic field likely helped feed the early sun during the formation of the solar system, according to research published August 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. By analyzing iron-bearing inclusions in ancient meteorites, scientists found evidence of a magnetic field several times stronger than Earth’s current field, suggesting magnetism worked alongside gravity to build the planetary system.
Magnetic Records in 4.5 Billion-Year-Old Meteorites
The research team analyzed a meteorite that fell to Earth in 2008, focusing on specific mineral inclusions known as calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions. These white specks solidified more than 4.5 billion years ago, predating the formation of the sun and the planets.
Cauê Borlina, a planetary scientist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., stated that these inclusions are forming before everything else
. The team specifically examined five inclusions containing iron, an element with electrons that rearrange to record the magnetic forces present at the time of solidification.
Using sensitive magnetometers, the researchers measured magnetic fields of a few gauss. This measurement indicates a field significantly more powerful than the one currently surrounding Earth.
Magnetism’s Role in the Sun’s Growth
Scientists have long debated whether gravity or magnetic fields were the primary force shepherding gas into place to form the sun. While previous research indicated a system-wide magnetic field existed after the sun formed, it was unclear if that field existed during the earliest stages.
Borlina noted that simulations of planetary system formation predict that stronger magnetic fields transport more gas toward a nascent star. During the Class 0 phase—the sun’s earliest stage—some models suggest the sun consumed more than 300 Earth masses of gas annually.
The strength of the measured field suggests that magnetism contributed substantially to this process. You can’t ignore the contribution of magnetism
, Borlina said.
Analysis of the Class 0 Phase and Future Research
Indrani Das, a theoretical astrophysicist at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taipei, Taiwan, described the findings as an important look at the beginnings of the solar system. Das noted that this represents one of the first measurements performed on the Class 0 phase.
Despite the findings, Das emphasized that the results require further verification. To bolster these conclusions, researchers will need to conduct similar measurements on a larger sample size of other meteorites.