Bifurcation of planetary building blocks during Solar System formation

Two-part formation of the Solar System Measurements meteorites have shown that inner and outer formed from two distinct reservoirs material. Existing models proposed these were split by Jupiter forming first, which would open a gap in protoplanetary disc. Lichtenberg et al. instead argue snow line, boundary between regions containing water vapor solid ice, migrated first outward then inward, separate populations planetesimals. Those planetesimals grew through collisions to form planets. Their simulation this model explains meteorite data is consistent with astronomical observations disks around other stars. Science , issue p. 365