Comparison between core-collapse supernova nucleosynthesis and meteoric stardust grains: investigating magnesium, aluminium, and chromium

TL;DR

This study investigates whether core-collapse supernovae can produce the isotopic variations observed in meteoritic stardust grains, focusing on magnesium, aluminium, and chromium isotopes, and compares model yields with meteoritic data.

Contribution

The paper provides detailed CCSN nucleosynthesis models for stars of 15, 20, and 25 solar masses, linking supernova yields to meteoritic isotope anomalies, especially for chromium, magnesium, and aluminium.

Findings

Explosive C-ashes can reproduce observed Cr isotope ratios.

He ashes enriched in Al and Cr match Mg-Cr anomaly correlations.

Mg isotope variations are dominated by stable isotopes, not Al.

Abstract

Isotope variations of nucleosynthetic origin among Solar System's solid samples are well documented, yet the origin of these variations is still uncertain. The observed variability of \iso{54}Cr among materials formed in different regions of the proto-planetary disk has been attributed to variable amounts of presolar chromium-rich oxide (chromite) grains, which exist within the meteoritic stardust inventory and most likely originated from some type of supernova explosions. To investigate if core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) could be the site of origin of these grains, we analyse yields of CCSN models of stars with initial mass 15, 20 and 25 M$_{\odot}$, and solar metallicity. We present an extensive abundance data set of the Cr, Mg, and Al isotopes as a function of enclosed mass. We find cases in which the explosive C-ashes produce a composition in good agreement with the observed \iso{54}Cr/\iso{52}Cr and \iso{53}Cr/\iso{52}Cr ratios as well as the \iso{50}Cr/\iso{52}Cr ratios. Taking into account that the signal at atomic mass 50 could also originate from \iso{50}Ti, the ashes of explosive He-burning also match the observed ratios. Addition of material from the He ashes (enriched in Al and Cr relative to Mg to simulate the make-up of chromite grains) to the Solar System composition may reproduce the observed correlation between Mg and Cr anomalies, while material from the C-ashes does not present significant Mg anomalies together with Cr isotopic variations. In all cases, non-radiogenic, stable Mg isotope variations dominate over the variations expected from \iso{26}Al.