GSTDTAP  > 气候变化
Alien Radioactive Element Prompts Creation Rethink
admin
2021
发布年2021
语种英语
国家美国
领域气候变化
正文(英文)

The first-ever discovery of an extraterrestrial radioactive isotope on Earth has scientists rethinking the origins of the elements on our planet.

The tiny traces of plutonium-244 were found in ocean crust alongside radioactive iron-60. The two isotopes are evidence of violent cosmic events in the vicinity of Earth millions of years ago.

Star explosions, or supernovae create many of the heavy elements in the periodic table, including those vital for human life, such as iron, potassium and iodine.

To form even heavier elements, such as gold, uranium and plutonium it was thought that a more violent event may be needed, such as two neutron stars merging.

However, a study led by Professor Anton Wallner from The Australian National University (ANU) suggests a more complex picture.

"The story is complicated -- possibly this plutonium-244 was produced in supernova explosions or it could be left over from a much older, but even more spectacular event such as a neutron star detonation," lead author of the study, Professor Wallner said.

Any plutonium-244 and iron-60 that existed when the Earth formed from interstellar gas and dust over four billion years ago has long since decayed, so current traces of them must have originated from recent cosmic events in space.

The dating of the sample confirms two or more supernova explosions occurred near Earth.

"Our data could be the first evidence that supernovae do indeed produce plutonium-244," Professor Wallner said

"Or perhaps it was already in the interstellar medium before the supernova went off, and it was pushed across the solar system together with the supernova ejecta."

Professor Wallner also holds joint positions at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Technical University Dresden in Germany, and conducted this work with researchers from Australia, Israel, Japan, Switzerland and Germany.

The VEGA accelerator at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, (ANSTO) in Sydney was used to identify the tiny traces of the plutonium-244.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Australian National University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. A. Wallner, M. B. Froehlich, M. A. C. Hotchkis, N. Kinoshita, M. Paul, M. Martschini, S. Pavetich, S. G. Tims, N. Kivel, D. Schumann, M. Honda, H. Matsuzaki, T. Yamagata. 60Fe and 244Pu deposited on Earth constrain the r-process yields of recent nearby supernovae. Science, 2021; 372 (6543): 742 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax3972

Cite This Page:

Australian National University. "Alien radioactive element prompts creation rethink." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2021. .
Australian National University. (2021, May 18). Alien radioactive element prompts creation rethink. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 18, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210518114224.htm
Australian National University. "Alien radioactive element prompts creation rethink." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210518114224.htm (accessed May 18, 2021).

URL查看原文
来源平台Science Daily
文献类型新闻
条目标识符http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/326146
专题气候变化
推荐引用方式
GB/T 7714
admin. Alien Radioactive Element Prompts Creation Rethink. 2021.
条目包含的文件
条目无相关文件。
个性服务
推荐该条目
保存到收藏夹
查看访问统计
导出为Endnote文件
谷歌学术
谷歌学术中相似的文章
[admin]的文章
百度学术
百度学术中相似的文章
[admin]的文章
必应学术
必应学术中相似的文章
[admin]的文章
相关权益政策
暂无数据
收藏/分享
所有评论 (0)
暂无评论
 

除非特别说明,本系统中所有内容都受版权保护,并保留所有权利。