原始球粒陨石含有来自恒星的微小固体颗粒(微米级),这些尘埃的同位素组成与太阳系物质截然不同,它们是目前唯一能直接获得的恒星固体样品.已发现的恒星尘埃有金刚石、石墨、碳化硅、刚玉、尖晶石、氮化物、和硅酸盐等,它们的母体恒星包括红巨星,AGB恒星、新星和超新星.对恒星尘埃的研究,使得更深入地了解星系的化学演化历史、恒星内部的核反应和湍流机制、恒星大气中尘埃的形成、星际介质物理现象等.恒星尘埃把天体物理领域延伸到了微观世界,它有机地结合了地球化学实验技术和天体物理理论,开辟了一门崭新的天文学分支实验天体物理学.
Primitive meteorites contain microscopic pre-solar grains that originated from stellar outflows and supernova ejecta. Identified phases include nano-diamond, graphite, silicon carbide, corundum, spinel, hibonite, and silicates. Their stellar origin was manifested by enormous isotopic compositions compared to solar materials. They are the solid samples from various stellar sources, including red giant stars, AGB stars, novae, and supernovae. Laboratory isotopic analyses of these grains provide a deeper understanding of stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis and mixing processes, dust formation in stellar environments, and galactic chemical evolution. Pre-solar grains open a new observational window for astrophysical researches.