Search for supernova-produced 60Fe in a marine sediment.
An 60Fe peak in a deep-sea FeMn crust has been interpreted as due to the signature left by the ejecta of a supernova explosion close to the solar system 2.8+/-0.4 Myr ago [Knie, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 171103 (2004)10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.171103]. In an attempt to confirm this interpretation with better time resolution and obtain a more direct flux estimate, we measured 60Fe concentrations along a dated marine sediment. We find no 60Fe peak at the expected level from 1.7 to 3.2 Myr ago. Possible causes for the discrepancy are discussed.
Fitoussi
C
C
Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et de Spectrométrie de Masse (CSNSM) IN2P3/CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bâtiment 108, Orsay, France.
Raisbeck
G M
GM
Knie
K
K
Korschinek
G
G
Faestermann
T
T
Goriely
S
S
Lunney
D
D
Poutivtsev
M
M
Rugel
G
G
Waelbroeck
C
C
Wallner
A
A