Setting the Stage: The Early History of the Solar System

Abstract

This article reviews the early history of our solar system from an astrobiological perspective and presents evidence from meteorites and astronomical observations. The purpose is to trace the formation of key molecules that participated in the building blocks of life. The Sun and its planetary system started from a section of a molecular cloud that collapsed into a protoplanetary disk. In the center of the protoplanetary disk, the protosun heated the surrounding material. The dust and gas inherited from the cloud remained pristine farther away from the protostar, while new compounds were created in the gas and on the icy mantles of the dust. The dust accreted into pebbles, pebbles formed planetesimals, and planetesimals collided and accreted pebbles to create planets. Meanwhile, the protosun became the Sun when its core reached the pressure and temperature required to transform hydrogen into helium. During this process, the Sun emitted high-energy radiation and particles that impacted the chemistry in the disk and the early evolution of the terrestrial planets.

20 pages, 4 figures

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