Abstract
The isotopic compositions of interstellar graphite grains in meteorites provide a record of the stellar environments in which they formed. The grains have 12C/13C ratios that range far from the terrestrial value, as well as large variations in 14N/15N and 16O/18O, and pronounced 26Mg excesses from the decay of extinct 26AI. This isotopic variability indicates several types of stellar source, including asymptotic giant branch stars, Wolf–Rayet stars and novae.
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Amari, S., Hoppe, P., Zinner, E. et al. The isotopic compositions and stellar sources of meteoritic graphite grains. Nature 365, 806–809 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/365806a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/365806a0
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