Research:

My research involves studying Chondrules, small spherical once molten drops of silica found in the class of meteorites known as Chondrites. These spherules are composed of Olivine, Pyroxene, Troilite and metallic Iron. They were formed around 4 billion years ago in the early Solar Nebula and are thought to be some of the earliest rocky material to be formed in the Solar System, along with Calcium Aluminium Inclusions (CAIs). Thus chondrules form the basis of the meteorites, the asteriods and the Terrestrial Planets.

But we don't know how they formed...

There are many theories, the prevailing ones being: lightning, irradiation from the young Sun, GRBs, plantesimal collisions, radioactive decay heating.
All of these have their merits, and their detractors. My area would be Gamma Ray Bursts causing heating of dust/gas aggregations when they impinge on the Nebula and the subsequent formation of the spherical chondrules. They cool ovre time, kept warm by afterglows and/or soft gamma-ray repeaters. Chondrules are spherical due to surface tension in a zero-g environment.

To discover the temperatures and cooling rates involved, experiments on simulated precursor materials are carried out in a laboratory based furnace. These artificial chondrules are examined under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to idenify crystalline structure and elemental composition. Comparisions with real chondrules thus lead to constraints on the viable conditions in the Solar Nebula at the time of Chondrule Formation.