Why did icy planetesimals form farther from the young Sun?
Icy planetesimals formed farther from the young Sun because of the temperature gradient within the solar nebula.12
Close to the nascent Sun, temperatures were too high for volatile substancesāsuch as water, carbon dioxide, and ammoniaāto condense into their solid ice forms. Consequently, planetesimals in the inner solar system remained primarily composed of rocky silicates and other materials with higher freezing points.12
In contrast, at distances beyond the snow lineāthe minimum radius from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for water to freezeāthese abundant volatile substances could condense. This allowed planetesimals forming in the outer solar system to incorporate large amounts of ice, providing them with significantly more mass than their inner-system counterparts. These icy bodies eventually served as the building blocks for the massive giant planets, while many others remained as smaller remnants, such as those found in the Kuiper belt or the Oort cloud.123