What is the role of the Oort Cloud in the formation of the solar system?

The Oort Cloud is a theoretical region of space located far beyond the orbit of Neptune, around 50,000 to 200,000 astronomical units (AU) away from the Sun. It is believed to be the source of long-period comets that can take thousands or even millions of years to orbit the Sun.

The Oort Cloud is thought to have formed from the same solar nebula that created the rest of the solar system. As the early solar system evolved, some of the icy planetesimals that formed beyond Neptune's orbit were ejected into the outer reaches of the solar system due to gravitational interactions with the giant planets.

Once in the Oort Cloud, these icy objects are thought to have been perturbed by passing stars or gravitational interactions with other objects in the Cloud, causing them to fall towards the inner solar system and become comets.

The Oort Cloud is also believed to contain a large amount of cosmic dust, which may have played a role in the formation of the planets in the early solar system. Some models suggest that the dust particles in the Cloud provided a source of material for the growth of planetesimals, which eventually led to the formation of planets.