Kuljeet Kaur Marhas – författare

The Birth of Our Solar System: Dust to Planets and Beyond presents a comprehensive exploration of the origin and early evolution of the Solar System, integrating planetary science, cosmochemistry, and astrophysics. It addresses fundamental questions about the Sun-planet system’s birth, the formation of CAIs and chondrites, and the early solar nebula’s evolution, placing Earth’s emergence in broader cosmic context. The narrative progresses through chapters on the beginning, genesis of the universe, solar-system birth scenarios, homogeneity, early solar-system events, and exoplanetary perspectives, supported by theory, observations, and laboratory results. The book aims to equip researchers, graduate students, and educators with a cohesive framework to understand initial solar-system conditions, the processes that shaped planetary architectures, and the implications for planetary habitability and life's origins. Readers will gain a holistic view of cosmochemical timelines, isotopic chronologies, and geochemical signatures that anchor our understanding of planetary formation, enabling cross-disciplinary dialogue and informed interpretation of meteoritic and astronomical data.Synthesizes planetary science, cosmochemistry, and cosmology to illuminate Solar System originsExplains formation timelines from CAIs to planet formation with accessible narrativeIllustrates concepts with diagrams, tables, and figures to support understandingProvides modular chapters enabling independent reading and teaching applications

In the past 50 years, our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Solar System has grown exponentially, in large part due to the availability of meteorites and the success of sample return missions. This book contains fourteen papers, each led by a team of expert scientists, which review our present understanding of Solar System formation and evolution through sample analysis.The chapters are structured around three main themes: (i) initial conditions and workings of the Solar System; (ii) planetary habitats; and (iii) sample curation. Through these themes, the volume presents the outstanding scientific questions to be addressed through future missions, identifies specific target bodies to be studied, and evaluates relevant sample curation facilities. In all, the book is intended to assist in formulating a viable strategy for planning future sample return missions.Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Role of Sample Return in Addressing Major Questions in Planetary Sciences”