Houston, TX – Scientists in Houston, Texas have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding an ancient meteorite recovered from Antarctica. Within the meteorite, they found a minuscule piece of olivine mineral, one that holds a unique isotope composition indicating its extraterrestrial origins. This tiny mineral speck, known as a presolar grain, offers valuable insights into the distant past of stars and galaxies.
While these presolar grains are highly prized for the wealth of information they can provide, they are incredibly challenging to identify due to their small size and presence within meteorite rock. However, a team led by astrogeologist Nicole Nevill of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston managed to unearth one of these elusive presolar grains using a groundbreaking technique called atom probe tomography.
Through their analysis, the team discovered that the olivine presolar grain contained a magnesium isotope ratio unlike anything found in our Solar System. This exceptional finding points to the grain’s formation in a hydrogen-burning supernova, a type of star that was only recently discovered. The high magnesium isotope ratio observed in this grain suggests a violent event in the past that the Solar System has not experienced.
Nevill and her colleagues further studied the grain’s composition and discovered that it harbored a significantly higher proportion of magnesium-25 than any previous sample measured. This discrepancy indicates that the grain likely originated from a supernova event before becoming encapsulated within the meteorite.
The researchers’ use of atom probe tomography provided unprecedented levels of detail, shedding light on the formation of hydrogen-burning supernovae and the evolution of stars in the galaxy. This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding the cosmic events that shaped the universe we inhabit today.
The finding, detailed in The Astrophysical Journal, marks a significant milestone in the study of extraterrestrial materials, showcasing the remarkable abilities of scientists to decipher the secrets hidden within meteorites. This achievement underscores the ever-expanding frontiers of space exploration and the continuous quest for knowledge about the cosmos.