Effect of a gamma-ray burst on a planetary forming system

Chondrules are millimeter sized objects of spherical to irregular shape that constitute the major component of chondritic meteorites that originate in the region between Mars and Jupiter and which fall to Earth. They appear to have solidified rapidly from molten or partially molten drops. The heat source that melted the chondrules remains uncertain. The intense radiation from a gamma-ray burst is capable of melting material at distances up to 300 light years. These conditions were created in the chamber in the white synchrotron beam at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The pellets were rapidly heated in the X-ray and gamma-ray furnace to above 1400 C, melted and cooled. This process heats from the inside unlike normal furnaces. The melted sphereical samples were examined with a range of techniques and found to have microstructural properties similar to the chondrules that come from meteorites. This experiment demonstrates that gamma-ray bursts can melt precursor material to form chondrules that many subsequently influence the formation of planets. This work extends the field of laboratory astrophysics to include high power synchrotron sources.