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Universe »Astrophysics» Stardust fossils found in meteorites
Just as the rocks on Earth preserve records of prehistoric times, some primitive meteorites also preserve records of ancient stardust particles, and astronomers are now trying to trace these particles back to their star origin.
Billions of years ago, these stardusts were forged in dying stars and became part of the debris that helped form our solar system. These grains are then incorporated into meteorites.
In a new paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, US-led researchers analyzed some "pre-solar" particles extracted from primitive meteorites, and provided us with information about the evolution of these long-dead stars new information.
These particles are only a few thousandths of a millimeter in diameter, so the team used a mass spectrometer to study these particles at a higher resolution than before.
The study’s lead author, Nan Liu, a physicist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, explained: “Pre-solar particles have been embedded in meteorites for 4.6 billion years, sometimes covered with solar materials.”
"Due to the increase in spatial resolution, our team was able to see [aluminum] contaminants attached to the surface of the particles and obtain true stellar features by including only the signal from the core of the particle during the data reduction period."
Using a plasma ion source, the team exposed the inner parts of the stardust particles to measure their isotopes. Specifically, they are studying the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and magnesium aluminum (Mg-Al) isotopes in grains made of silicon carbide (SiC).
The isotope ratios measured in the study directly associate these particles with different types of carbon-rich stars, including some with strange chemical compositions.
"The new isotope data obtained in this study is exciting for stellar physicists and nuclear astrophysicists like me," said co-author Maurizio Busso of the University of Perugia, Italy. "In fact, the'weird' N isotope ratio of silicon carbide particles in front of the sun has been a noteworthy issue for the past two decades.
"The new data explains the difference between the material that originally existed in the stardust particles in front of the sun and the material that later attached, thus solving a long-standing problem in the community."
These types of research will also help astrophysicists build better models of stars to improve our understanding of how they evolve over time.
"As we learn more about the source of dust, we can gain more knowledge about the history of the universe and how the various stellar objects in it evolved," Liu concluded.
Originally published by Cosmos as fossil stardust found in meteorites
Lauren Fuge is a science reporter at Cosmos. She holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Adelaide and a bachelor's degree in English and creative writing from Flinders University.
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