Oxygen Isotope Constraints on the Importance of Photochemical Processing in Protoplanetary Disks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ciesla, Fred J., Van Clepper, Eric, Bergner, Jennifer, Bergin, Edwin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ciesla, Fred J.
Van Clepper, Eric
Bergner, Jennifer
Bergin, Edwin
author_facet Ciesla, Fred J.
Van Clepper, Eric
Bergner, Jennifer
Bergin, Edwin
contents Observations have revealed evidence of photochemical processing in protoplanetary disks. This processing occurs in the photon dominated layer, the optically thin regions of the disk high above the disk midplane. It remains unclear, however, how much this photochemical processing impacts the compositions of the planets and their building blocks within the disk. Here we use the oxygen isotopic compositions of Solar System solids, which has been attributed to photochemistry in the solar nebula, to quantitatively evaluate whether this processing could have produced the conditions needed to provide the diversity of compositions seen in the Solar System. We do this by modeling the chemical evolution while fine dust grows into the building blocks of the planets. We find that the oxygen isotopic evolution cannot be attributed to processing in the solar nebula and must instead be inherited from the parent molecular cloud. Further, our results indicate that the observed photochemical processing in protoplanetary disks does not significantly impact the compositions of planets that form within.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_04944
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Oxygen Isotope Constraints on the Importance of Photochemical Processing in Protoplanetary Disks
Ciesla, Fred J.
Van Clepper, Eric
Bergner, Jennifer
Bergin, Edwin
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Observations have revealed evidence of photochemical processing in protoplanetary disks. This processing occurs in the photon dominated layer, the optically thin regions of the disk high above the disk midplane. It remains unclear, however, how much this photochemical processing impacts the compositions of the planets and their building blocks within the disk. Here we use the oxygen isotopic compositions of Solar System solids, which has been attributed to photochemistry in the solar nebula, to quantitatively evaluate whether this processing could have produced the conditions needed to provide the diversity of compositions seen in the Solar System. We do this by modeling the chemical evolution while fine dust grows into the building blocks of the planets. We find that the oxygen isotopic evolution cannot be attributed to processing in the solar nebula and must instead be inherited from the parent molecular cloud. Further, our results indicate that the observed photochemical processing in protoplanetary disks does not significantly impact the compositions of planets that form within.
title Oxygen Isotope Constraints on the Importance of Photochemical Processing in Protoplanetary Disks
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.04944