(Press-News.org) The earliest rocks in our Solar System were more like candy floss than the hard rock that we know today, according to research published today in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The work, by researchers from Imperial College London and other international institutions, provides the first geological evidence to support previous theories, based on computer models and lab experiments, about how the earliest rocks were formed. The study adds weight to the idea that the first solid material in the Solar System was fragile and extremely porous – much like candy floss – and that it was compacted during periods of extreme turbulence into harder rock, forming the building blocks that paved the way for planets like Earth.
Dr Phil Bland, lead author of the study from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, says:
"Our study makes us even more convinced than before that the early carbonaceous chondrite rocks were shaped by the turbulent nebula through which they travelled billions of years ago, in much the same way that pebbles in a river are altered when subjected to high turbulence in the water. Our research suggests that the turbulence caused these early particles to compact and harden over time to form the first tiny rocks."
The researchers reached their conclusions after carrying out an extremely detailed analysis of an asteroid fragment known as a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite, which came from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. It was originally formed in the early Solar System when microscopic dust particles collided with one another and stuck together, coalescing around larger grain particles called chondrules, which were around a millimetre in size.
To analyse the carbonaceous chondrite sample, the team used an electron back-scatter defraction technique, which fires electrons at the sample. Researchers observe the resulting interference pattern using a microscope to study the structures within. This technique enabled the researchers to study the orientation and position of individual micrometre-sized grain particles that had coalesced around the chondrule. They found that the grains coated the chondrule in a uniform pattern, which they deduced could only occur if this tiny rock was subjected to shocks in space, possibly during these periods of turbulence.
The team also defined a new method to quantify the amount of compression that the rock had experienced and deduce the rock's original fragile structure.
Dr Bland adds: "What's exciting about this approach is that it allows us – for the first time – to quantitatively reconstruct the accretion and impact history of the most primitive solar system materials in great detail. Our work is another step in the process helping us to see how rocky planets and moons that make up parts of our Solar System came into being."
In the future, the team will focus further studies on how the earliest asteroids were built.
###
This research was funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
Notes to Editors:
1. "Earliest rock fabric formed in the Solar System preserved in chondrule rim" Nature Geoscience, Sunday 27 March 2011.
The full listing of authors and their affiliations for this paper is as follows:
Philip A. Bland [1,2,3], Lauren E. Howard [2], David J. Prior [4], John Wheeler [5], Robert M. Hough [6] and Kathryn A. Dyl [1]
[1] Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre (IARC), Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK [2] IARC, Department of mineralogy, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK [3] Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth Western Australia 6845, Australia [4] Department of Geology, University of Otago, 360 Leith Walk, PO Box 56, Dunedin, Otago 9054, New Zealand [5] Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK [6] CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Perth Western Australia 6151, Australia
2. About Imperial College London
Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.
Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of energy and address security challenges.
In 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre. This unique partnership aims to improve the quality of life of patients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible.
Website: www.imperial.ac.uk
From candy floss to rock: study provides new evidence about beginnings of the solar system
The earliest rocks in our solar system were more like candy floss than the hard rock that we know today, according to research published today in the journal Nature Geoscience
2011-03-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Structure of DNA repair complex reveals workings of powerful cell motor
2011-03-28
LA JOLLA, CA – Over the last years, two teams of researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have steadily built a model of how a powerful DNA repair complex works. Now, their latest discovery provides revolutionary insights into the way the molecular motor inside the complex functions – findings they say may have implications for treatment of disorders ranging from cancer to cystic fibrosis.
In a paper published in an Advance Online Edition of Nature Structural and Molecular Biology March 27, 2011, the scientists say that the complex's motor molecule, known as Rad50, ...
Will we hear the light?
2011-03-28
SALT LAKE CITY, March 28, 2011 – University of Utah scientists used invisible infrared light to make rat heart cells contract and toadfish inner-ear cells send signals to the brain. The discovery someday might improve cochlear implants for deafness and lead to devices to restore vision, maintain balance and treat movement disorders like Parkinson's.
"We're going to talk to the brain with optical infrared pulses instead of electrical pulses," which now are used in cochlear implants to provide deaf people with limited hearing, says Richard Rabbitt, a professor of bioengineering ...
WinADayCasino's Game of the Month Has $165,900 Jackpot Winner
2011-03-28
A Canadian online slots player has won a $165,900 progressive jackpot at WinADayCasino.com. Sylvia M., known as POWERBALL on the site, won the massive jackpot playing the Tropical Treat slot machine, one of the online casino's newest flash technology games with enhanced full-screen graphics and rich sound effects.
"The progressive jackpot can be won on any of our online slots," said Michael Hilary, manager of the slots and video poker site. "But since it's been the Game of the Month for March and has been played more than usual over the last few weeks, I guess it's ...
Surgeon availability tied to survival rate in vehicle crashes
2011-03-28
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine claim that the availability of surgeons is a critical factor in public health and suggest that surgery should become an important part of the primary health care system.
A recent study led by David C. Chang, PhD, MPH, MBA, director of Outcomes Research in the Department of Surgery at UCSD School of Medicine, points out that surgery in the United States continues to be seen as tertiary care and is mainly centered at large urban hospitals, creating an unequal distribution of surgical providers. The ...
Study finds changes in incidence of end-stage renal disease from lupus nephritis
2011-03-28
New research documenting changes in the incidence and outcomes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the U.S. between 1995 and 2006, found a significant increase in incidence rates among patients 5 to 39 years of age and in African Americans. A second related study—the largest pediatric lupus nephritis-associated ESRD study to date—revealed high rates of adverse outcomes among children with ESRD due to lupus nephritis. Despite novel therapies, outcomes have not improved in over a decade. Both studies now appear online in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell ...
Certain breast cancer patients worry excessively about recurrence
2011-03-28
A new study has found that certain types of women with early stage breast cancer are vulnerable to excessive worrying about cancer recurrence. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also indicates that worrying about cancer recurrence can compromise patients' medical care and quality of life.
Thanks to recent medical advances, most women who are diagnosed with early stage breast cancer have a low risk for cancer recurrence. Despite an optimistic future, many of these women report that they worry that their ...
Some women worry too much about breast cancer returning, U-M study finds
2011-03-28
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Most women face only a small risk of breast cancer coming back after they complete their treatment. Yet a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds that nearly half of Latinas who speak little English expressed a great deal of worry about recurrence.
"Some worry about cancer recurrence is understandable. But for some women, these worries can be so strong that they impact their treatment decisions, symptom reporting and screening behaviors, and overall quality of life," says study author Nancy K. Janz, Ph.D., professor ...
Casino Aus to Launch a Unique Asian-Themed Video Slot Game
2011-03-28
Leading Australian online casino, Casino Aus, is due to release a highly unique Asian-themed video slot game on 7 April 2011. Asian Beauty Video Slot is a 5 Reel, 243 Way Video Slot that encapsulates the mystic surrealism that surrounds Asian Royalty.
3 or more of the master-crafted treasure chests across the reels act as the Scatter in this game, launching between 10 and 25 retriggering Free Spins which double all wins. These Scatter pays are multiplied by the players total bet and can also be generous as they range between 5x to 100x total bet.
The emperor's daughters ...
'Spicing' up your love life possible, study finds
2011-03-28
Looking to spice up your sex life? Try adding ginseng and saffron to your diet. Both are proven performance boosters, according to a new scientific review of natural aphrodisiacs conducted by University of Guelph researchers.
Indulge in wine and chocolate, too, but know that their amorous effects are likely all in your head. Stay away from the more obscure Spanish fly and Bufo toad. While purported to be sexually enhancing, they produced the opposite result and can even be toxic.
Those are among the findings of the study by Massimo Marcone, a professor in Guelph's Department ...
Perimeter Hotel Offers Special Rates from $69 for Travelers who Book by April 4
2011-03-28
Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter Hotel North, located near Perimeter Mall and Dunwoody, GA, recently announced a new special savings deal for spring travelers to enjoy. Guests who book their stay by April 4 can get room ratings starting at $69 per night. The deal is available for stays Thursday through Sunday, March 31 through May, 30, 2011.
The Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter Hotel's services and amenities include:
- Free High-speed Internet Access
- Club level lounge
- Concierge desk
- Complimentary 24-hour Fitness Facility and jogging path
- Guest rooms with Sheraton Sweet ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications
New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia
Evolution of fast-growing fish-eating herring in the Baltic Sea
Cryptographic protocol enables secure data sharing in the floating wind energy sector
Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer?
Development of a global innovative drug in eye drop form for treating dry age-related macular degeneration
Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits
Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds
Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters
Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can
Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact
Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer
Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp
How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy
Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds
Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain
UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color
Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus
SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor
Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication
Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows
Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more
Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage
Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows
DFG to fund eight new research units
Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped
Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology
Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”
First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables
Disparities and gaps in breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49
[Press-News.org] From candy floss to rock: study provides new evidence about beginnings of the solar systemThe earliest rocks in our solar system were more like candy floss than the hard rock that we know today, according to research published today in the journal Nature Geoscience