Image Analysis for Porosity Measurements of Early Fine-Grained Rim Analogs

Chondrites are meteorites that contain large, round mineral grain deposits called chondrules. As remnants of the early solar system, chondrites offer abundant knowledge about the plasma environments around young stars. However, the precise cause of their formation remains unknown. Fine-grained rims (FGRs), the layers of compacted dust surrounding chondrules, are particularly insightful for investigating the protoplanetary disk dynamics that lead to planet formation. This study examines the early stages of FGR formation by using an experimental analog for the accretion of dust onto a chondrule surface by depositing dust grains onto a surface within a vacuum. Slices of the dust pile are obtained through laser sheet scanning techniques. Image analysis methods are used to obtain experimental porosity measurements of the dust piles. Successive images are binarized and subtracted to reveal changes in the dust pile's morphology. However, this leaves the dust pile hollow. This poster presents image processing techniques used to digitally fill the dust pile center to determine structural porosity and discuss the use of these dust pile contours to calculate surface porosity.