60Fe Anomaly in a Deep-Sea Manganese Crust and Implications for a Nearby Supernova Source
Abstract
A nearby supernova (SN) explosion in the past can be confirmed by the detection of radioisotopes on Earth that were produced and ejected by the SN. We have now measured a well resolved time profile of the 60Fe concentration in a deep-sea ferromanganese crust and found a highly significant increase 2.8Myr ago. The amount of 60Fe is compatible with the deposition of ejecta from a SN at a distance of a few 10pc. The well defined time of the SN explosion makes it possible to search for plausible correlations with other events in Earth’s history.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.171103
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhRvL..93q1103K
- Keywords:
-
- 97.60.Bw;
- 26.30.+k;
- 91.50.-r;
- 98.38.Am;
- Supernovae;
- Nucleosynthesis in novae supernovae and other explosive environments;
- Marine geology and geophysics;
- Physical properties