Stellar outbursts and chondrite composition

TL;DR

This paper explores how stellar outbursts caused by high accretion episodes can explain the high temperatures needed for star formation and the volatile depletion patterns observed in chondrites and terrestrial planets.

Contribution

It demonstrates that stellar outbursts can account for both star formation mass requirements and volatile depletion in chondrites, providing a unified explanation.

Findings

Outbursts can reproduce observed chondrite abundances near 1 AU.

Outbursts influence the growth of CAIs and isotopic compositions.

High-temperature events during outbursts explain volatile depletion patterns.

Abstract

The temperatures of observed protoplanetary disks are not sufficiently high to produce the accretion rate needed to form stars, nor are they sufficient to explain the volatile depletion patterns in CM, CO, and CV chondrites and terrestrial planets. We revisit the role that stellar outbursts, caused by high accretion episodes, play in resolving these two issues. These outbursts provide the necessary mass to form the star during the disk lifetime, and provide enough heat to vaporize planet-forming materials. We show that these outbursts can reproduce the observed chondrite abundances at distances near one AU. These outbursts would also affect the growth of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) and the isotopic compositions of carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous chondrites.