Des cailloux et quelques poussières pour comprendre la naissance de notre Système Stellaire

Abstract

We have today available for the scientific community a series of extraterrestrial material, in the form of meteorites, micrometeorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). These cosmomaterials are the oldest solid samples from the Solar System, and enable us to trace back the first instants of our stellar system. We describe in this article the diversity of these cosmomaterials and their relation with their parent bodies: asteroids and comets (known together as small bodies). Some are rich in organic compounds and volatile molecules (including water) and therefore small bodies might have brought to Earth the bricks of life. These theories will be discussed. Finally, the effect of geological processes on their parent bodies will be presented, as well as the importance of small bodies exploration (and sample return) in the forthcoming decades of space exploration. Hoy disponemos de una gran cantidad de material extraterrestre sobre la Tierra en forma de meteoritos, micrometeoritos y partículas de polvo interplanetario (IDPs, del inglés Interplanetary Dust Particles).