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Possible influence of comets on the chemical evolution of the galaxy

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Abstract

It has been suggested by Cameron that a cloud of comets containing a mass of condensable elements, comparable to the mass of such elements in the sun, formed on the outskirts of the solar system. If the formation of such comet clouds is a general feature of star formation, they constitute a significant sink of elements heavier than helium. It is shown here that this process provides a possible explanation for the very slow rate at which the mean metal abundance of disk stars has increased during the lifetime of the Galaxy.

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Tinsley, B.M., Cameron, A.G.W. Possible influence of comets on the chemical evolution of the galaxy. Astrophys Space Sci 31, 31–35 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00642598

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