What is Ca-Al-rich inclusions?
{{jargon|date=February 2024}} '''Ca-Al-rich inclusions''' ('''CAI'''s) are [[Inclusion (mineral)|inclusions]] found in [[Meteor#Meteorite types|carbonaceous chondrites]]. These inclusions are about {{Cvt|1|cm|in}} long. They are light-colored and made of [[calcium]] and [[Aluminium|aluminum]]. High-[[temperature]] [[mineral]]<nowiki/>s are often found in CAIs. These objects are among the first solid objects to be created by the cooling of a [[protoplanetary disk]]. CAIs are formed at much higher temperatures than the associated [[chondrule]]s. They may have survived many high-temperature events while most chondrules are created in a single [[melting]] event. The [[isotope|isotopic]] [[wikt:anomaly|anomalies]] of CAIs give important information about the creation of the [[solar system]]. The studying of them suggests that the [[solar nebula]] collapsed soon after a nearby [[supernova]]. [[Radiometric dating]] shows that the CAIs formed about 2 million years before the chondrules formed. ==References== * [http://ijolite.geology.uiuc.edu/02FallClass/geo433/papers/Gilmour_Solar_Sys_Clocks.pdf Gilmour J. 2002. The Solar System's first clocks ''Science'' '''297''', 1658-1659.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183145/http://ijolite.geology.uiuc.edu/02FallClass/geo433/papers/Gilmour_Solar_Sys_Clocks.pdf |date=2016-03-03 }} * Amelin Y. ''et al.'' 2002. Lead isotopic ages of chondrules and calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions ''Science'', '''297''', 1678-1683. * Krot A.N. 2002. [http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Sept02/isotopicAges.html Dating the earliest solids in our Solar System]. ''Planetary science research discoveries''. http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Sept02/isotopicAges.html * Shukolyukov A. & Lugmair G.W. 2002. Chronology of asteroid accretion and differentiation 687-695, in Bottke W.F. ''et al.'' (eds) ''Asteroids III''. University of Arizona Press. {{ISBN|0-8165-2281-2}} {{sci-stub}} [[Category:Meteorites]]