1. Interstellar ^{60}Fe on the Surface of the Moon
- Author
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L, Fimiani, D L, Cook, T, Faestermann, J M, Gómez-Guzmán, K, Hain, G, Herzog, K, Knie, G, Korschinek, P, Ludwig, J, Park, R C, Reedy, and G, Rugel
- Abstract
A dying massive star ends in a supernova explosion ejecting a large fraction of its mass into the interstellar medium. If this happens nearby, part of the ejecta might end on Solar System bodies and, in fact, radioactive ^{60}Fe has been detected on the Pacific ocean floor in about 2 Ma old layers. Here, we report on the detection of this isotope also in lunar samples, originating presumably from the same event. The concentration of the cosmic ray produced isotope ^{53}Mn, measured in the same samples, proves the supernova origin of the ^{60}Fe. From the ^{60}Fe concentrations found we deduce a reliable value for the local interstellar fluence in the range of 1×10^{8} at/cm^{2}. Thus, we obtain constraints on the recent and nearby supernova(e).
- Published
- 2015