Canadian scientists from the University of Western Ontario have confirmed the theory that all objects in the solar system, including the Earth, are formed from matter that has a common origin, writes Nature.
As noted by one of the authors of the study, cosmochemist Audrey Bouvier, this contradicts the theory that scientists have adhered to in the past few decades.
Bouvier explained that he, along with colleagues, studied the data that were obtained using thermal ionization mass spectrometry. It turned out that objects that appeared in the solar system at an early stage of its formation have the same content of one of the seven isotopes of the chemical element neodymium, namely neodymium-142 (142Nd).
Scientists came to a similar conclusion in 2005. Then scientists discovered that neodymium-142 is contained both in the earth's crust and in chondrites, which were considered to be an important element in the construction of the Earth.
Although it was assumed that chondrites could fall to the Earth in the first 30 million years from the moment of its appearance, which explains the presence in the earth's crust of the elements that make up their composition.
But Bouvier found evidence that differences in the content of neodymium-142 in the earth's crust and in chondrites existed during the formation of the Earth, and were not introduced at later stages. Therefore, experts are sure that the Earth and other planets of the Solar systems arose from one substance.
Note that neodymium-142 is widespread in the earth's crust. It is used to make microphones and headphones.