Aggregate Growth and Internal structures of Chondrite Parent Bodies Forming from Dense Clumps

TL;DR

This study models how collisional growth of chondrules and matrix in dense clumps influences the internal structure of chondrite parent bodies, revealing two scales of structure formation linked to early growth and gas dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a fluffy aggregate growth model for chondrules and matrix in dense clumps, connecting internal CPB structures to formation conditions.

Findings

Aggregate growth occurs before gravitational collapse.

Two structural scales are identified within CPBs.

Internal structures reflect formation environment and dynamics.

Abstract

Major components of chondrites are chondrules and matrix. Measurements of the volatile abundance in Semarkona chondrules suggest that chondrules formed in a dense clump that had a higher solid density than the gas density in the solar nebula. We investigate collisions between chondrules and matrix in the surface region of dense clumps using fluffy aggregate growth models. Our simulations show that the collisional growth of aggregates composed of chondrules and matrix takes place in the clumps well before they experience gravitational collapse. The internal structure of chondrite parent bodies (CPBs) can be thereby determined by aggregate growth. We find that the aggregate growth generates two scales within CPBs. The first scale is involved with the small scale distribution of chondrules and determined by the early growth stage, where chondrules accrete aggregates composed of matrix grains. This accretion can reproduce the thickness of the matrix layer around chondrules found in chondrites. The other scale is related to the large scale distribution of chondrules. Its properties (e.g., the abundance of chondrules and the overall size) depend on the gas motion within the clump, which is parameterized in this work. Our work thus suggests that the internal structure of CPBs may provide important clues about their formation conditions and mechanisms.