Collisional destruction experiment of chondrules and formation of fragments in the solar nebula

Abstract

Collisional destruction experiments with chondrules from the Allende CV3 chondrite were performed over a range of velocities (10 m/s to 76 m/s). Electron microscopy shows that two types of chondrules were affected by low-velocity impacts: (1) reactivated pre-existing cracks filled with iron-oxides and (2) poorly crystallized finegrained silicates in glass. The relatively-well crystallized chondrules were destroyed at higher impact velocities. Based on the range of velocities causing chondrule destruction, we theoretically examined the condition of the solar nebula in the chondrule destruction periods and suggest that collisional destruction of chondrules can occur during abrupt and/or localized strong turbulence, in a nebular shock, by a collision between a chondrule and an object larger than 1 m in the laminar solar nebula.