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Evidence from stable isotopes and 10Be for solar system formation triggered by a low-mass supernova
, Y.-Z. Qian, A. Heger, W.C. Haxton
Published in Nature Publishing Group
2016
Volume: 7
   
Issue: 1
Pages: 1 - 6
Abstract
About 4.6 billion years ago, some event disturbed a cloud of gas and dust, triggering the gravitational collapse that led to the formation of the solar system. A core-collapse supernova, whose shock wave is capable of compressing such a cloud, is an obvious candidate for the initiating event. This hypothesis can be tested because supernovae also produce telltale patterns of short-lived radionuclides, which would be preserved today as isotopic anomalies. Previous studies of the forensic evidence have been inconclusive, finding a pattern of isotopes differing from that produced in conventional supernova models. Here we argue that these difficulties either do not arise or are mitigated if the initiating supernova was a special type, low in mass and explosion energy. Key to our conclusion is the demonstration that short-lived 10Be can be readily synthesized in such supernovae by neutrino interactions, while anomalies in stable isotopes are suppressed. © The Author(s) 2016.
About the journal
JournalNature Communications
PublisherNature Publishing Group
ISSN20411723
Open AccessNo