Radiogenic melting of primordial comet interiors

Comets accreted soon after the initial collapse and cooling of the solar nebula, and containing a plausible fraction of 26Al, would have been significantly heated as this radionuclide decayed. Snow-and-dust balls as described by integrals of the heat conduction equation would melt in the centre if larger than 3–6 km radius. A central, low pressure vapour-droplet mixture is described here, which is conceived to be retained within an ice shell, and providing a potentially hospitable environment for elementary life forms. Refreezing after some million years produces a partially-hollow core.