The Search for Supernova-produced Radionuclides in Terrestrial Deep-sea Archives

Author(s)

Jenny Feige, Anton Wallner, Stephan Winkler, Silke Merchel, L. Keith Fifield, Gunther Korschinek, Georg Rugel, Dieter Breitschwerdt

Abstract

An enhanced concentration of 60Fe was found in a deep ocean's crust in 2004 in a layer corresponding to an age of ~2 Myr. The confirmation of this signal in terrestrial archives as supernova-induced and detection of other supernova-produced radionuclides is of great interest. We have identified two suitable marine sediment cores from the South Australian Basin and estimated the intensity of a possible signal of the supernova-produced radionuclides 26Al, 53Mn, 60Fe and the pure r-process element 244Pu in these cores. A finding of these radionuclides in a sediment core might allow to improve the time resolution of the signal and thus to link the signal to a supernova event in the solar vicinity ~2 Myr ago. Furthermore, it gives an insight on nucleosynthesis scenarios in massive stars, the condensation into dust grains and transport mechanisms from the supernova shell into the solar system.

Organisation(s)

Isotope Physics

External organisation(s)

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Australian National University, Technische Universität München, Technische Universität Berlin

Journal

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia

Volume

29

Pages

109-114

No. of pages

6

ISSN

1323-3580

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1071/AS11070

Publication date

2012

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

1030 Physics, Astronomy

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 14 - Life Below Water

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/7ee2cc66-2027-4837-885d-7a89ba870a31