 |
Laboratory for Space Sciences |
 |
|
|
Laboratory for Space Sciences |
|
|
Presolar Grains: a complementary approach to studying supernovae |
|
|
|
|
Presolar grains Microscopic samples of the dust that condenses around supernovae are preserved in presolar grains that have been found within primitive meteorites. Isotopic and structural studies of these presolar grains provide clues as to the types of stars from which these grains originated, and give detailed information about nucleosynthesis (the process occurring within stars that produces most of the elements present in the universe). These grains can also give insights into the formation of our own solar system.
|
“Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has a grander view?” Victor Hugo |
Astronomical observation The Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories have provided stunning views of many objects in the universe including supernova. Observations of a nearby supernova (SN1987a) showed that indeed dust was condensing from the gas after the SN explosion, but little else about the dust could be determined due to the limitations of remote observation. Examination of presolar grains in the laboratory (with TEM and NanoSIMS) gives more detailed chemical and isotopic information which complements astronomical observations.
|
|
Continue ... Supernova Graphites
My brain is very large and has complex folds ... take me straight to your paper on supernova graphites in Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta.
|
Lost .... Take a detour How are isotopic anomalies created? What is a transmission electron microscope (TEM)? How does secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) work? |
Created by: Kevin Croat
