Recent astronomical observations make clear that planetary systems are a common side effect of star formation. 

NASA flew the Genesis Discovery Mission to return a small bit of the Sun to the Earth so that understanding of the solar composition can be based more directly on analyses of solar matter. This talk will describe the Genesis mission and its first-order results that clearly demonstrate that the rocky materials of the inner solar system, including Earth, are highly enriched in the heavy isotopes of oxygen and nitrogen compared to the average starting composition of the solar nebula which is preserved in the Sun. These gross isotopic anomalies have significant implications for understanding major chemical processing of matter in the solar nebula during the epoch of planetary accretion.

Crow Hall 201-coffee at 3:30 p.m.; Compton Hall 245.

The colloquium will be in person.   If you prefer to join via Zoom, please register at the link below.

Register to attend the colloquium through Zoom.