Origins of the solar system

 Exothermic Reactions: Reactions that releases energy and illuminate stars such as fusion

 Fusion (occurs from hydrogen till iron 56 and hence stable, naturally occurring) and Neutron
capture (beyond iron 56, not stable, lower binding energy)

 Fusion reactions in “onion like” layers in a star (typically a big star)

 S Process nucleosynthesis : Slow and steady supply of neutrons in stellar settings

 R Process nucleosynthesis: Rapid supply of neutrons in supernova breaks through the barrier
of an unstable nuclide to form neutron rich nuclides

 P Process nucleosynthesis: Protons colliding with nuclei may form proton rich nuclides. Free
protons in an environment

 Big bang products: H, He, minor Li, Be, B

Stellar Fusion Products: Li – Fe

Products of P, S and R nucleosynthesis related to supernova

 Photoevaporation process

 Accretion: The process of growth through gravitational attraction

 Disk Processes

Infalling matter

CAIs: Calcium Aluminium rich Inclusions

Further out the disk we have >>> silicate spheres known as chondrules (molten droplets
orbiting the sun)

ROCKS
 Types of Sedimentary rocks

Clastic

Chemical (like carbonate rocks, silicon dioxide rocks)

 Non sedimentary rocks (Igneous Rocks)

Volcanic rocks (extrusive igneous rocks like Basalt..this forms most of the ocean crust...it is
rich in iron and magnesium and olivine (mafic)...those are green minerals on the rock) and
 rocks which form under the earth’s surface (Intrusive igneous rocks like granite which is very
poor in iron and magnesium but rich in silicon...they form the continental crust (felsic))

 Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks that form when a pre-existing rock called a protolith undergoes textural and
mineralogical changes due to changes in its physical and chemical environment

 Igenous rocks can be transformed into sedimentary rocks. The sedimentary rocks buried
deep will heat up and metamorphose into a new type of metamorphic rock. If it heats up too
much, it will become magma and become a source for an Igenous rock! (WOW)

ORIGIN
 Trace Fossil> not always a physical imprint of past life

Chemical Fossil> A Chemical remnant of past life (oxygen)

 Clastic sedimentary rocks (sandstone, mudstone, siltstones) are good for finding physical
imprints of past life

 Chemical sedimentary rocks(form by precipitation of calcite or silica from seawater) are also
good places to look

 Chemical fossil does not necessary have to occur in a well preserved sedimentary rock

Can survive deformation and metamorphism

 Isua > Package of rocks that formed at the earth’s surface between 3.7 – 3.8 B Yrs ago

Its a mix of sediments and volcanic rocks

 Graphite > mineral formed out of carbon. Forms in 2 ways

1. From an inorganic source of carbon from deep in the earth, released in volcanic eruptions

2. From the metamorphosis of buried organic matter on the ocean floor

> RNA hypothesis> RNA > Protein > DNA

RNA: contains >>>>>>> Cytosine, Guanine, Adenine, uracil

 Serpentine > Water rich mineral ...rich in nickel and cobalt

 Impact crater hypothesis

 Hydo thermal vents

 Life from a meteor

INTERNAL HEAT OF THE EARTH

 Primordial heat and Radiogenic heat

 Earth is following the 2nd law of thermodynamics

 Earth is cooling

 Core is molten. Outer layer is liquid and the turbulence of this is what gives the magnetic
field