Abstract
The composition of the early Solar System can be inferred from meteorites. Many elements heavier than iron were formed by the rapid neutron capture process (r-process), but the astrophysical sources where this occurred remain poorly understood. We demonstrate that the near-identical half-lives (−~15:6 million years) of the radioactive r-process nuclei iodine-129 and curium-247 preserve their ratio, irrespective of the time between production and incorporation into the Solar System. We constrain the last r-process source by comparing the measured meteoritic ratio 129I/247Cm = 438 ± 184 with nucleosynthesis calculations based on neutron star merger and magneto-rotational supernova simulations. Moderately neutron-rich conditions, often found in merger disk ejecta simulations, are most consistent with the meteoritic value. Uncertain nuclear physics data limit our confidence in this conclusion.
Original language | English |
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Article number | aba1111 |
Pages (from-to) | 945-948 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Science |
Volume | 371 |
Issue number | 6532 |
Early online date | 26 Feb 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 26 Feb 2021 |