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Evidence for nearby supernova explosions
Narciso Benítez1, Jesús Maíz-Apellániz, Matilde Canelles
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USAtxitxo@pha.jhu.edu.
Physical Review Letters
|February 28, 2002
Summary
Nearby supernova explosions may have caused an excess of iron-60 on Earth and contributed to a mass extinction event. These cosmic events, originating from the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association, could have damaged Earth's ozone layer.
Area of Science:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Earth Science
- Paleontology
Background:
- Supernova (SN) explosions are highly energetic cosmic events.
- The Scorpius-Centaurus OB association is a nearby group of young stars.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of SN explosions from the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association on Earth.
- To explain the presence of excess iron-60 (Fe-60) isotopes in deep ocean crust samples.
- To explore the potential link between SN explosions and the Pliocene-Pleistocene marine extinction.
Main Methods:
- Analyzing the frequency and proximity of SN explosions from the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association over the last 11 million years.
- Correlating Fe-60 deposition on Earth with SN event timelines.
- Modeling the potential atmospheric and environmental effects of nearby SNe.
Main Results:
- The Scorpius-Centaurus OB association produced approximately 20 SN explosions in the last 11 Myr.
- Some SNe occurred as close as 40 pc to Earth, consistent with Fe-60 excess measurements.
- A SN event around 2 Myr ago may have damaged the ozone layer.
Conclusions:
- SN explosions from the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association are a plausible source of terrestrial Fe-60.
- A nearby SN event likely impacted Earth's atmosphere and may have contributed to the Pliocene-Pleistocene marine extinction.