In a new study, a research team used advanced geochemical dating and analysis techniques to reveal that some asteroids and meteorites, such as Ryugu and Ivuna, originate from celestial bodies that formed less than 2 million years after the beginning of the solar system. This coincides with a period when the solar system was forming its first generation of planetesimals, the building blocks of planets. 

For her landmark work in the development and application of shock physics techniques to explain the origin and evolution of planetary systems, Stewart has been selected as an American Physical Society Fellow, a prestigious honor that no more than half of one percent of the society’s membership (excluding student members) are nominated for each year.