protomaterial
Protomaterial is a term used in several scientific contexts to denote a primitive or formative form of matter that acts as a precursor to more complex substances. It is not a fixed technical category; its meaning varies by field and is often used descriptively rather than as a formal phase.
In astrophysics and planetary science, protomaterials describe the simplest constituents that populate star-forming regions and protoplanetary
In materials science and chemistry, protomaterial can refer to an intermediate, undeveloped, or metastable state during
Because protomaterials are often inferred from indirect evidence, researchers rely on spectroscopy, laboratory simulations of space
The term remains somewhat informal and is used mainly as a conceptual label to discuss origins and