Paleomagnetic evidence for a disk substructure in the early solar system.

Astronomical observations and isotopic measurements of meteorites suggest that substructures are common in protoplanetary disks and may even have existed in the solar nebula. Here, we conduct paleomagnetic measurements of chondrules in CO carbonaceous chondrites to investigate the existence and nature of these disk substructures. We show that the paleomagnetism of chondrules in CO carbonaceous chondrites indicates the presence of a 101 ± 48 μT field in the solar nebula in the outer solar system (~3 to 7 AU from the Sun).

History of the solar nebula from meteorite paleomagnetism.

We review recent advances in our understanding of magnetism in the solar nebula and protoplanetary disks (PPDs). We discuss the implications of theory, meteorite measurements, and astronomical observations for planetary formation and nebular evolution. Paleomagnetic measurements indicate the presence of fields of 0.

Lifetime of the solar nebula constrained by meteorite paleomagnetism.

A key stage in planet formation is the evolution of a gaseous and magnetized solar nebula. However, the lifetime of the nebular magnetic field and nebula are poorly constrained. We present paleomagnetic analyses of volcanic angrites demonstrating that they formed in a near-zero magnetic field (<0.

Paleomagnetism. Solar nebula magnetic fields recorded in the Semarkona meteorite.

Magnetic fields are proposed to have played a critical role in some of the most enigmatic processes of planetary formation by mediating the rapid accretion of disk material onto the central star and the formation of the first solids. However, there have been no experimental constraints on the intensity of these fields. Here we show that dusty olivine-bearing chondrules from the Semarkona meteorite were magnetized in a nebular field of 54 ± 21 microteslas.