G. W. Lugmair

60Fe: A Heat Source for Planetary Differentiation from a Nearby Supernova Explosion

From a sample of the Semarkona (LL 3.0) ordinary chondrite we report the in situ discovery of 60Ni isotopic anomalies attributable to the decay of short-lived 60Fe (half-life 1.5 Myr) in the mineral phases troilite (FeS) and magnetite (Fe3O4). The troilite shows a 60Ni excesses of up to ~100 parts per thousand (‰) relative to its solar isotopic abundance. A positive correlation between 60Ni excesses and 56Fe/58Ni ratios provides evidence for live 60Fe in the early solar system. The inferred 60Fe/56Fe ratio of (0.92 ± 0.24) × 10-6 is the highest measured in any meteorite sample so far. This ratio is higher than predictions for production within asymptotic giant branch stars, but falls within the range expected for a Type II supernova source. This result is strongly suggestive of injection of freshly synthesized 60Fe into the nascent solar nebula by a nearby supernova explosion. Such a high abundance of 60Fe will exclude irradiation with solar energetic particles as the sole mechanism responsible for the production of short-lived radionuclides. It further shows that the decay of 60Fe was an important heat source for early planetary melting and differentiation and for keeping asteroids thermally active for much longer than would be possible from the decay of 26Al alone.

On the 53Mn heterogeneity in the early solar system

It is well established that the prolonged and thorough mixing of numerous nucleosynthetic components that constitutes the matter in the solar nebula resulted in an essential isotopic homogeneity of the solar system material. This may or may not be true for the short-lived radionuclides which were injected into or formed within the solar nebula just prior to or during solar system formation. Distinguishing between their heterogeneous or homogeneous distribution is important because the short- lived radionuclides are now widely used for the relative chronology of various objects and processes in the early solar system and as constraints for models of nucleosynthesis. The recent studies of the 53Mn-53Cr isotope system (half life of 53Mn is 3.7 Ma) in various solar system objects have shown that the relative abundance of radiogenic 53Cr is consistent with essentially homogeneous distribution of 53Mn in the asteroid belt. Thus, the relative 53Mn-53Cr chronometer can be directly used for dating samples which originated in the asteroid belt. Importantly, however, all meteorite groups studied so far indicate a clear excess of 53Cr as compared to Earth and to a lunar sample, which exhibits also a terrestrial 53Cr/52Cr ratio. The results from the Martian (SNC) meteorites show that their 53Cr excesses are less than half of those found in the asteroid belt bodies. Thus, the characteristic 53Cr/52Cr ratio of Mars is intermediate between that of the Earth-Moon system and those of the other meteorites. If these 53Cr variations are viewed as a function of the heliocentric distance, the radial dependence of the relative abundances of radiogenic 53Cr is indicated. This observed gradient can be explained by either an early, volatility controlled, Mn/Cr fractionation within the nebula or by an initial radial heterogeneous distribution of 53Mn. Although model calculations of the Mn/Cr ratios in the bulk terrestrial planets seem to be inconsistent with the volatility driven scenario, the precision of these calculations is inadequate for eliminating this possibility. In contrast, recent studies of the 53Mn-53Cr system in the enstatite chondrites indicate that, while their bulk Mn/Cr ratios are essentially the same as in ordinary chondrites, the 53Cr excess in bulk enstatite chondrites is three times lower than that in the bulk ordinary chondrites. This difference cannot be explained by a Mn/Cr fractionation and, thus, strongly suggests that a radial heterogeneous distribution of 53Mn must have existed in at least the early inner solar system. Using the observed gradient and the 53Cr/52Cr ratio of the bulk enstatite chondrites, their parent body(ies) formed at ∼1.4 AU or somewhat closer to the Sun.