The plausible source(s) of 26Al in the early solar system: A massive star or the X‐wind irradiation scenario?

Abstract— A quantitative analysis is presented for the irradiation contributions of the short‐lived nuclides, specifically ²⁶Al, by the X‐wind scenario in the early solar system. The analysis is based on the comprehensive numerical simulations of the scenario that involves thermal processing of protoCAIs during the decades long X‐wind cycle. It would be difficult to explain the canonical value of ²⁶Al/²⁷Al in Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions on the basis of its inferred irradiation yields. Hence, the bulk inventory of ²⁶Al in the early solar system was not produced by the X‐wind scenario. We suggest the predominant occurrence of gradual flares compared to impulsive flares in the early solar system as in the case of the modern solar flares. One tenth of the bulk ²⁶Al was only produced by irradiation in case the entire solar inventory of ¹⁰Be was produced by local irradiation. The bulk ²⁶Al inventory along with ⁶⁰Fe was probably synthesized by a massive star. We present a qualitative model of the astrophysical settings for the formation of the solar system on the basis of a survey of the presently active star forming regions. We hypothesize that the formation of the solar system could have occurred almost contemporaneously with the formation of the massive star within a single stellar cluster. As the massive star eventually exploded as supernova Ib/c subsequent to Wolf‐Rayet stages, the short‐lived nuclides were probably injected into the solar proto‐planetary disc. The dynamically evolving stellar cluster eventually dispersed within the initial ?10 million years prior to the major planetary formation episodes.     

Stellar nucleosynthetic contribution of extinct short‐lived nuclei in the early solar system and the associated isotopic effects

Abstract— A wide range of stellar nucleosynthetic sources has been analyzed to derive their contributions of short‐lived and stable nuclei to the presolar cloud. This detailed study is required to infer the most plausible source(s) of short‐lived nuclei through a critical comparison among the various stellar sources that include AGB stars, novae, supernovae II, Ia, and Wolf‐Rayet stars that evolved to supernovae Ib/c. In order to produce the canonical value of ²⁶Al/²⁷Al in the early solar system, almost all stellar sources except low‐mass AGB stars imply large isotopic anomalies in Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs). This is contrary to the observed isotopic compositions of CAIs. The discrepancy could impose stringent constraints on the formation and thermal evolution of CAIs from different chondrites. Among the various stellar scenarios, the injection of short‐lived nuclei into the previously formed solar protoplanetary disc by a massive star of an ad hoc chosen high‐injection mass cut is a possible scenario. There is a possibility of the contribution of short‐lived nuclides by a 1.5–3 M_⊙ AGB star as it implies the smallest shift in stable isotopes. A low‐mass AGB star of relatively low metallicity would be even a better source of short‐lived nuclei. However, this scenario would require independent gravitational collapse of the presolar cloud coupled with ambipolar diffusion of magnetic flux. Alternatively, numerous scenarios can be postulated that involve distant (≥10 pc) massive stars can contribute ⁶⁰Fe to the presolar cloud and can trigger its gravitational collapse. These scenarios would require production of ²⁶Al and ⁴¹Ca by irradiation in the early solar system. Significant production of ²⁶Al and ⁶⁰Fe can be explained if massive, rotating Wolf‐Rayet stars that evolved to supernovae Ib/c were involved.     

Collateral consequences of the inhomogeneous distribution of short-lived radionuclides in the solar nebula

Abstract— The presence of several short-lived (now extinct) radionuclides in the early solar system demands that they were synthesized and added to preexisting solar system materials shortly (on a time scale on the order of the relevant radionuclide lifetime) before formation of solar system solids. For diverse reasons, it is often suggested that the solar system distributions of these radionuclides were radically heterogeneous, perhaps because of the late addition. Much attention has been given to the astrophysical circumstances that might govern the synthesis and distribution of these short-lived radionuclides, but comparatively little attention has been devoted to the distribution of cosynthesized isotopes. The focus of this paper is a systematic, quantitative evaluation of the collateral consequences in stable and long-lived isotopes that might be expected if short-lived radionuclides, in particular ²⁶Al or ⁵³Mn, were injected at their canonical levels and inhomogeneously distributed in the early solar system. We mix model massive star yields of Meyer et al. (1995) and Woosley and Weaver (1995) into a reservoir of cosmic composition, as tabulated by Anders and Grevesse (1989). To mitigate the effects of systematic deviations that may be present in these mixtures due to uncertainties in model stellar yields, we follow Timmes and Clayton (1996) and also mix into a “renormalized” proxy solar system composition computed from a galactic chemical evolution model based primarily on the stellar yields of Woosley and Weaver (1995). The results are very unfavorable to the likelihood of heterogeneously distributed ²⁶Al derived from supernova ejecta. If a massive star is invoked to account for ²⁶Al, its ejecta must have been rather uniformly distributed, as inferred from the lack of measured collateral anomalies in several elements, notably Ca, Cr, and Ni. Conversely, if ²⁶Al were indeed radically heterogeneously distributed, some other nucleosynthetic source more efficient at producing ²⁶Al is required. In principle, a similar statement applies to ⁵³Mn, but the situation is more complicated. The inferred anomalies at ⁵³Cr will depend not only on how much ⁵³Mn is added by a heterogeneous component, but also more sensitively on the contributions to the associated stable nuclides, ⁵³Cr, ⁵²Cr, and ⁵⁰Cr. Consideration of predicted collateral anomalies provides no direct support for heterogeneously distributed supernova-derived ⁵³Mn, but the required quantity of supernova contribution, and thus also the collateral anomalies, are much less for ⁵³Mn than for ²⁶Al. With allowance for model calculation uncertainties, it could be argued that anomalies collateral to heterogeneous ⁵³Mn might be small enough to have evaded detection.     

Numerical simulations of the production of extinct short‐lived nuclides by magnetic flaring in the early solar system

Abstract Using the X‐ray flare observations of low‐mass protostars, we developed numerical simulations of thermal processing and irradiation of protoCAIs in the magnetic reconnection ring within the X‐wind formulation. Observed X‐ray flare luminosities have been used to model various simulation flare characteristics. Several approximations have been made regarding the thermal evolution that involve condensation, evaporation, and coagulation of protoCAIs. Ensembles of refractory cores with ferromagnesian mantles were evolved for irradiation production of the short‐lived nuclides ⁷Be, ¹⁰Be, ⁴¹Ca, ³⁶Cl, ²⁶Al, and ⁵³Mn. Three distinct grain‐size distributions of protoCAIs with refractory cores in the ranges of 32μ m‐20 mm, 125 μ m‐16 mm, and 500 μ m‐13 mm were thermally evolved for irradiation. The latter two size distributions were found to result in the accumulation of protoCAIs in the reconnection ring during an X‐wind cycle, and hence can account for the total inventory of ²⁶Al in the early solar system. The canonical value of ?5 × 10^‐5 for ²⁶Al/²⁷ Al can be inferred from the impulsive flare simulations by a suitable choice of simulation parameters. However, in most of the remaining simulations, the irradiation of protoCAIs by superflare(s) with Lx > 10³² ergs s^‐1 subsequent to their thermal processing in the reconnection ring would be required to explain the experimental abundances of the short‐lived nuclides. These superflares have never been reliably observed in young stellar objects. If they are real, they would be extremely rare. The paucity of these superflares could impose stringent constraints on the validity of the X‐wind irradiation scenario as the source of the short‐lived nuclides.     

The role of massive AGB stars in the early solar system composition

Abstract— We demonstrate that a massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star is a good candidate as the main source of short‐lived radionuclides in the early solar system. Recent identification of massive (4–8 M⊙) AGB stars in the galaxy, which are both lithium‐ and rubidium‐rich, demonstrates that these stars experience proton captures at the base of the convective envelope (hot bottom burning), together with high‐neutron density nucleosynthesis with ²²Ne as a neutron source in the He shell and efficient dredge‐up of the processed material. A model of a 6.5 M⊙ star of solar metallicity can simultaneously match the abundances of ²⁶Al, ⁴¹Ca, ⁶⁰Fe, and ¹⁰⁷Pd inferred to have been present in the solar nebula by using a dilution factor of 1 part of AGB material per 300 parts of original solar nebula material, and taking into account a time interval between injection of the short‐lived nuclides and consolidation of the first meteorites equal to 0.53 Myr. Such a polluting source does not overproduce ⁵³Mn, as supernova models do, and only marginally affects isotopic ratios of stable elements. It is usually argued that it is unlikely that the short‐lived radionuclides in the early solar system came from an AGB star because these stars are rarely found in star forming regions, however, we think that further interdisciplinary studies are needed to address the fundamental problem of the birth of our solar system.     

Evolutionary synthesis models for the emission from radioactive isotopes in H ii regions

We have extended our evolutionary synthesis models for Star Forming Regions to the γ-ray domain. Applying different yields to the resulting synthetic populations, we obtain lightcurves of γ-ray line emission due to the radioactive decay of stellar nucleosynthesis products, such as ²⁶Al and ⁶⁰Fe. We present here this time evolution and the application of the models to regions of star formation in our galaxy.     

Short‐lived radioactivity in the early solar system: The Super‐AGB star hypothesis

Abstract– The composition of the most primitive solar system condensates, such as calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) and micron‐sized corundum grains, show that short‐lived radionuclides (SLR), e.g., ²⁶Al, were present in the early solar system. Their abundances require a local or stellar origin, which, however, is far from being understood. We present for the first time the abundances of several SLR up to ⁶⁰Fe predicted from stars with initial mass in the range approximately 7–11 M_⊙. These stars evolve through core H, He, and C burning. After core C burning they go through a “Super”‐asymptotic giant branch (Super‐AGB) phase, with the H and He shells activated alternately, episodic thermal pulses in the He shell, a very hot temperature at the base of the convective envelope (approximately 10⁸ K), and strong stellar winds driving the H‐rich envelope into the surrounding interstellar medium. The final remnants of the evolution of Super‐AGB stars are mostly O–Ne white dwarfs. Our Super‐AGB models produce ²⁶Al/²⁷Al yield ratios approximately 0.02–0.26. These models can account for the canonical value of the ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio using dilutions with the solar nebula of the order of 1 part of Super‐AGB mass per several 10² to several 10³ of solar nebula mass, resulting in associated changes in the O‐isotope composition in the range Δ¹⁷O from 3 to 20‰. This is in agreement with observations of the O isotopic ratios in primitive solar system condensates, which do not carry the signature of a stellar polluter. The radionuclides ⁴¹Ca and ⁶⁰Fe are produced by neutron captures in Super‐AGB stars and their meteoritic abundances are also matched by some of our models, depending on the nuclear and stellar physics uncertainties as well as the meteoritic experimental data. We also expect and are currently investigating Super‐AGB production of SLR heavier than iron, such as ¹⁰⁷Pd.     

The early thermal evolution of Mars

Hf‐W isotopic systematics of Martian meteorites have provided evidence for the early accretion and rapid core formation of Mars. We present the results of numerical simulations performed to study the early thermal evolution and planetary scale differentiation of Mars. The simulations are confined to the initial 50 Myr (Ma) of the formation of solar system. The accretion energy produced during the growth of Mars and the decay energy due to the short‐lived radio‐nuclides ²⁶Al, ⁶⁰Fe, and the long‐lived nuclides, ⁴⁰K, ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U, and ²³²Th are incorporated as the heat sources for the thermal evolution of Mars. During the core‐mantle differentiation of Mars, the molten metallic blobs were numerically moved using Stoke's law toward the center with descent velocity that depends on the local acceleration due to gravity. Apart from the accretion and the radioactive heat energies, the gravitational energy produced during the differentiation of Mars and the associated heat transfer is also parametrically incorporated in the present work to make an assessment of its contribution to the early thermal evolution of Mars. We conclude that the accretion energy alone cannot produce widespread melting and differentiation of Mars even with an efficient consumption of the accretion energy. This makes ²⁶Al the prime source for the heating and planetary scale differentiation of Mars. We demonstrate a rapid accretion and core‐mantle differentiation of Mars within the initial ~1.5 Myr. This is consistent with the chronological records of Martian meteorites.     

Isotopic properties of silicon carbide X grains from the Murchison meteorite in the size range 0.5‐1.5 μm

Abstract— We report isotopic abundances for C, N, Mg‐Al, Si, Ca‐Ti, and Fe in 99 presolar silicon carbide (SiC) grains of type X (84 grains from this work and 15 grains from previous studies) from the Murchison CM2 meteorite, ranging in size from 0.5 to 1.5 μm. Carbon was measured in 41 X grains, n in 37 grains, Mg‐Al in 18 grains, Si in 87 grains, Ca‐Ti in 25 grains, and Fe in 8 grains. These X grains have ¹²C/¹³C ratios between 18 and 6800, ¹⁴N/¹⁵n ratios from 13 to 200, δ²⁹Si/²⁸Si between ?750 and +60%₀, δ³⁰Si/²⁸Si from ?770 to ?10%₀, and ⁵⁴Fe/⁵⁶Fe ratios that are compatible with solar within the analytical uncertainties of several tens of percent. Many X grains carry large amounts of radiogenic ²⁶Mg (from the radioactive decay of ²⁶Al, half‐life ? 7 times 10⁵ years) and radiogenic ⁴⁴Ca (from the radioactive decay of ⁴⁴Ti, half‐life = 60 years). While all X grains but one have radiogenic ²⁶Mg, only ～20% of them have detectable amounts of radiogenic ⁴⁴Ca. Initial ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios of up to 0.36 and initial ⁴⁴Ti/⁴⁸Ti ratios of up to 0.56 can be inferred. The isotopic data are compared with those expected from the potential stellar sources of SiC dust. Carbon stars, Wolf‐Rayet stars, and novae are ruled out as stellar sources of the X grains. The isotopic compositions of C and Fe and abundances of extinct ⁴⁴Ti are well explained both by type Ia and type II supernova (SN) models. The same holds for ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios, except for the highest ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios of >0.2 in some X grains. Silicon agrees qualitatively with SN model predictions, but the observed ²⁹Si/³⁰Si ratios in the X grains are in most cases too high, pointing to deficiencies in the current understanding of the production of Si in SN environments. The measured ¹⁴n/¹⁵n ratios are lower than those expected from SN mixing models. This problem can be overcome in a 15 M_odot; type II SN if rotational mixing, preferential trapping of N, or both from ¹⁵n‐rich regions in the ejecta are considered. The isotopic characteristics of C, N, Si, and initial ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios in small X grains are remarkably similar to those of large X grains (2–10 μm). Titanium‐44 concentrations are generally much higher in smaller grains, indicative of the presence of Ti‐bearing subgrains that might have served as condensation nuclei for SiC. The fraction of X grains among presolar SiC is largely independent of grain size. This implies similar grain‐size distributions for SiC from carbon stars (mainstream grains) and supernovae (X grains), a surprising conclusion in view of the different conditions for dust formation in these two types of stellar sources.     

Spectroscopic study of the peculiar galaxy UGC 5119

We present the results of our study of the stellar kinematics in the elliptical galaxy UGC 5119, which has previously been suspected to be a polar-ring galaxy. We have detected a rapidly rotating disk in the central region (r ≤ 3.2 kpc) of the galaxy’s main body and found a radial velocity gradient along its minor axis (in the putative ring). We conclude that UGC 5119 is a medium-luminosity elliptical galaxy with a rapidly rotating disk component and a stellar (probably polar) ring. We have calculated the Lick indices of the Hβ, Mggb, Fe 5270, and Fe 5335 absorption lines and compared them with evolutionary synthesis models. Differences in the [Mg/Fe] ratios, metallicities, and ages of the stars have been found: the young stellar population with a solar [Mg/Fe] ratio and a high metallicity dominates in the circumnuclear region (r ≤ 1 kpc), while the old one with a low metal abundance dominates in the ring.     

Al‐Mg systematics of hibonite‐bearing Ca,Al‐rich inclusions from Ningqiang

Abstract– Hibonite‐bearing Ca,Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) usually occur in CM and CH chondrites and possess petrographic and isotopic characteristics distinctive from other typical CAIs. Despite their highly refractory nature, most hibonite‐bearing CAIs have little or no ²⁶Mg excess (the decay product of ²⁶Al), but do show wide variations of Ca and Ti isotopic anomalies. A few spinel‐hibonite spherules preserve evidence of live ²⁶Al with an inferred ²⁶Al/²⁷Al close to the canonical value. The bimodal distribution of ²⁶Al abundances in hibonite‐bearing CAIs has inspired several interpretations regarding the origin of short‐lived nuclides and the evolution of the solar nebula. Herein we show that hibonite‐bearing CAIs from Ningqiang, an ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite, also provide evidence for a bimodal distribution of ²⁶Al. Two hibonite aggregates and two hibonite‐pyroxene spherules show no ²⁶Mg excesses, corresponding to inferred ²⁶Al/²⁷Al < 8 × 10^?6. Two hibonite‐melilite spherules are indistinguishable from each other in terms of chemistry and mineralogy but have different Mg isotopic compositions. Hibonite and melilite in one of them display positive ²⁶Mg excesses (up to 25‰) that are correlated with Al/Mg with an inferred ²⁶Al/²⁷Al of (5.5 ± 0.6) × 10^?5. The other one contains normal Mg isotopes with an inferred ²⁶Al/²⁷Al < 3.4 × 10^?6. Hibonite in a hibonite‐spinel fragment displays large ²⁶Mg excesses (up to 38‰) that correlate with Al/Mg, with an inferred ²⁶Al/²⁷Al of (4.5 ± 0.8) × 10^?5. Prolonged formation duration and thermal alteration of hibonite‐bearing CAIs seem to be inconsistent with petrological and isotopic observations of Ningqiang. Our results support the theory of formation of ²⁶Al‐free/poor hibonite‐bearing CAIs prior to the injection of ²⁶Al into the solar nebula from a nearby stellar source.     

On the production of cosmogenic nuclides in meteoroids by galactic protons

Abstract— A purely physical model is presented describing the depth- and size-dependence of the production of cosmogenic nuclides in meteoroids with radii up to 85 cm and in planetary surfaces by galactic cosmic ray protons. The model is based on Monte Carlo calculations of the intra- and internuclear cascades, by which depth- and size-dependent spectra of primary and secondary protons and of secondary neutrons are derived, and on experimental and theoretical thin-target cross sections of the underlying nuclear reactions. Model calculations are presented for production rates of ⁵³Mn, ²⁶Al, ²²Ne, and ²¹Ne in H- and L-chondrites and of ⁵³Mn and ²⁶Al in lunar surface material and compared with experimental data. From the analysis of ⁵³Mn and ²⁶Al in the Apollo 15 lunar drill core and in the L-chondrite Knyahinya GCR p-spectra and integral particle fluxes at 1 A.U. and in the meteoroid orbits averaged over the last 10 Ma are derived. An analysis of experimental depth profiles in four H- and L-chondrites demonstrates, that the new model is well capable of describing depth- and size-dependences of production rates of cosmogenic nuclides. Moreover, it is possible to determine exposure ages for these meteorites on the basis of the theoretical ²¹Ne production rates. The model calculations further explain the depth- and size-dependence of ²²Ne/²¹Ne-ratios and the dependences on these ratios of ²¹Ne, ²⁶Al and ⁵³Mn production rates. The future requirements for model calculations of cosmogenic nuclide production rates in extraterrestrial matter are outlined.     

Radioactive isotopes in star forming regions

We examine the isotope production in star forming regions through a model of stellar-group population synthesis evolution. From this we obtain the light-curves of γ-ray line emission due to radioactive decay of ²⁶Al, ⁶⁰Fe and the e⁻e⁺ annihilation line. We discuss in particular, the effects of the dispersion due to the discreteness of the stellar populations. We conclude that when predicted γ-ray line observations are combined with other multi-wavelength measurements, one can efficiently constrain the age of a stellar population, and help to identify the primary nucleosynthesis sources of the radio-isotopes.     

Gamma rays from cosmic radioactivities

Abstract— Gamma rays from radioactive byproducts of cosmic nucleosynthesis are direct messengers from nuclear processes taking place in various cosmic sites, and can be measured with telescopes operated in space. Due to low detector sensitivity, up until now, only a handful of sources have been detected in that electromagnetic window. Cobalt lines from SN1987A and ⁴⁴Ti lines from the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant offer unique constraints on the properties of the innermost regions of core collapse supernovae. Diffuse gamma‐ray lines from the decay of radioactive ²⁶Al and the annihilation of positrons are bright enough for mapping the Milky Way in the MeV regime, and are both measured by recent spaceborne spectrometers with unprecedented precision. This constrains the sources of Al production and the state of interstellar gas in the vicinity of these sites: the total mass of ²⁶Al produced by stellar sources throughout the Galaxy is estimated to be ～3 M_⊙ per Myr, and the interstellar medium near those sources appears to be characterized by velocities of ～100 km s^?1. Positron annihilation must occur in a modestly ionized, warm phase of the interstellar medium, but at present the major positron production site(s) remain unknown. The spatial distribution of the annihilation gamma‐ray emission constrains positron production sites and positron propagation in the Galaxy. ⁶⁰Fe radioactivity has been clearly detected recently; the flux ratio relative to ²⁶Al of about 15% is on the lower side of predictions from massive star and supernova nucleosynthesis models. Those views at nuclear and astrophysical processes in and around cosmic sources by space‐based gamma‐ray telescopes offer invaluable information on cosmic nucleosynthesis.     

Heterogeneous distribution of 26Al at the birth of the solar system: Evidence from refractory grains and inclusions

We review recent results on O‐ and Mg‐isotope compositions of refractory grains (corundum, hibonite) and calcium, aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) from unequilibrated ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. We show that these refractory objects originated in the presence of nebular gas enriched in ¹⁶O to varying degrees relative to the standard mean ocean water value: the Δ¹⁷O_SMOW value ranges from approximately ?16‰ to ?35‰, and recorded heterogeneous distribution of ²⁶Al in their formation region: the inferred (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ ranges from approximately 6.5 × 10^?5 to <2 × 10^?6. There is no correlation between O‐ and Mg‐isotope compositions of the refractory objects: ²⁶Al‐rich and ²⁶Al‐poor refractory objects have similar O‐isotope compositions. We suggest that ²⁶Al was injected into the ²⁶Al‐poor collapsing protosolar molecular cloud core, possibly by a wind from a neighboring massive star, and was later homogenized in the protoplanetary disk by radial mixing, possibly at the canonical value of ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio (approximately 5 × 10^?5). The ²⁶Al‐rich and ²⁶Al‐poor refractory grains and inclusions represent different generations of refractory objects, which formed prior to and during the injection and homogenization of ²⁶Al. Thus, the duration of formation of refractory grains and CAIs cannot be inferred from their ²⁶Al‐²⁶Mg systematics, and the canonical (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ does not represent the initial abundance of ²⁶Al in the solar system; instead, it may or may not represent the average abundance of ²⁶Al in the fully formed disk. The latter depends on the formation time of CAIs with the canonical ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio relative to the timing of complete delivery of stellar ²⁶Al to the solar system, and the degree of its subsequent homogenization in the disk. The injection of material containing ²⁶Al resulted in no observable changes in O‐isotope composition of the solar system. Instead, the variations in O‐isotope compositions between individual CAIs indicate that O‐isotope composition of the CAI‐forming region varied, because of coexisting of ¹⁶O‐rich and ¹⁶O‐poor nebular reservoirs (gaseous and/or solid) at the birth of the solar system, or because of rapid changes in the O‐isotope compositions of these reservoirs with time, e.g., due to CO self‐shielding in the disk.     

Life-bearing primordial planets in the solar vicinity

The space density of life-bearing primordial planets in the solar vicinity may amount to ～8.1×10⁴?pc^?3 giving total of ～10¹⁴ throughout the entire galactic disk. Initially dominated by H₂ these planets are stripped of their hydrogen mantles when the ambient radiation temperature exceeds 3?K as they fall from the galactic halo to the mid-plane of the galaxy. The zodiacal cloud in our solar system encounters a primordial planet once every 26 My (on our estimate) thus intercepting an average mass of 10³ tonnes of interplanetary dust on each occasion. If the dust included microbial material that originated on Earth and was scattered via impacts or cometary sublimation into the zodiacal cloud, this process offers a way by which evolved genes from Earth life could become dispersed through the galaxy.     

Photometry of young starlike objects in the dwarf galaxy NGC 2976— age and metallicity

We present BVI_c photometry of the brightest stars andcompact star clusters in NGC 2976, a dwarf galaxy in the interacting M81/M82 group. Deep CCD images of the galaxy were obtained with the 6m‐Telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia) at arcsec resolution. About 290 young stars and concentrated young clusters were measured. Supplementary data in the ultraviolet are taken from the literature. The extinction to the measured objects is comparatively low, E(B — V) ∼ 0.15 .. 0.20 mag. We estimate the ages of youngest resolved stars and concentrated star clusters to be ∼5 · 10⁶ years. This population is concentrated in a broad stripe facing M81. In the central disk the population is a bit older, about 8 · 10⁶ years, this may be a hint to an outward spreading star formation process. The metallicity of the disk population is estimatedas solar (z ∼ 0.02) from a fitting to Padova theoretical stellar isochrones.     

Short-lived radionuclides in the early solar system — A meteoritic perspective of the solar system formation

This paper reviews the evidence for short-lived radionuclides in the early solar system and evaluates the models of their origin. The stellar model requires that some freshly-nucleosynthesized radionuclides were injected into the proto-solar cloud shortly before it began to collapse. The spallation theory suggests that these nuclides were the products of interaction between energetic particles and gas/dust in the proto-solar cloud or solar nebula. A brief discussion is given to a new theory for the X-wind model of solar system formation.     

Correlation between relative ages inferred from 26Al and bulk compositions of ferromagnesian chondrules in least equilibrated ordinary chondrites

Abstract— We have studied the relationship between bulk chemical compositions and relative formation ages inferred from the initial ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios for sixteen ferromagnesian chondrules in least equilibrated ordinary chondrites, Semarkona (LL3.0) and Bishunpur (LL3.1). The initial ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios of these chondrules were obtained by Kita et al. (2000) and Mostefaoui et al. (2002), corresponding to relative ages from 0.7 ± 0.2 to 2.4 ?0.4/+0.7 Myr after calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), by assuming a homogeneous distribution of ²⁶Al in the early solar system. The measured bulk compositions of the chondrules cover the compositional range of ferromagnesian chondrules reported in the literature and, thus, the chondrules in this study are regarded as representatives of ferromagnesian chondrules. The relative ages of the chondrules appear to correlate with bulk abundances of Si and the volatile elements (Na, K, Mn, and Cr), but there seems to exist no correlation of relative ages neither with Fe nor with refractory elements. Younger chondrules tend to be richer in Si and volatile elements. Our result supports the result of Mostefaoui et al. (2002) who suggested that pyroxene‐rich chondrules are younger than olivine‐rich ones. The correlation provides an important constraint on chondrule formation in the early solar system. It is explained by chondrule formation in an open system, where silicon and volatile elements evaporated from chondrule melts during chondrule formation and recondensed as chondrule precursors of the next generation.