CAI
(calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion)
(calcium/aluminum specs in chondrites)
A CAI (for calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion)
is a small (up to a cm diameter) nodule including calcium and
aluminum found in some chondrites. Along with chondrules,
they are of interest due to the conditions necessary
to create them, as well as the ability to date them,
yielding information about the earliest
days of the solar system.
They are classified in types:
- Type A or fluffy - melilite-rich; has fluffy edges.
- Type B - pyroxene-melilite-spinel-anorthite-rich.
- Type C - anorthite-rich.
(meteorites,solar system)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium-aluminium-rich_inclusion
https://geosci.uchicago.edu/~grossman/MSD05.pdf
http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/PSRDglossary.html#CAI
https://www.meteorite-times.com/understanding-solar-system-history-cais-in-meteorites/
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