Thesis Title: Origin of Nitrogen and Carbon in Rocky Bodies of the Inner Solar System
Abstract
In this PhD thesis, I aim to answer one of the fundamental questions in modern science – What are the chemical pathways leading to the formation of Earth-like habitable planets? To this end, I have focused on the origin of two vital life-essential volatiles, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C), in the rocky bodies of the inner Solar System. I present a framework built on high pressure- temperature experiments and thermodynamic modelling to trace the journey of N and C from primitive dust, organics, and ice in a protoplanetary disk, moving through planetesimals and planetary embryos (hereafter, protoplanets), and ending with oligarchic growth and giant impact stages of planetary accretion. The investigation was highly interdisciplinary and involved several aspects of geo/cosmochemistry, petrology, planetary sciences, and astrophysics.
