Home >  Term: calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI)
calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI)

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions are found in chondritic meteorites. CAIs are primitive objects that formed in the solar nebula before the planets formed. CAIs are light-colored objects rich in refractory elements (that condense at a high temperature). Besides calcium and aluminum, this includes magnesium, titanium, and rare earth elements. CAIs range in size from about a millimeter to a centimeter. Meteoriticists have identified several distinct varieties of CAIs, but all share a high temperature origin. Some might be condensates from the solar nebula. Other CAIs might be evaporation residues.

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