Isotope Systematics of Presolar Silicate Grains: New Insights from Magnesium and Silicon

We report on Mg and Si isotope data of 86 presolar silicate grains identified through NanoSIMS oxygen ion imaging in thin sections of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites. The O, Mg, and Si isotope data of 106 presolar silicates (including grains studied previously by our group) suggest division of O isotope Group 1 grains into four subpopulations: (i) normal, (ii) Mg-25-rich, (iii) Mg-26-rich, and (iv) Mg-25-poor. Normal Group 1 grains (similar to 60% of Group 1 grains) formed in the winds of low-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, with Mg and Si defining linear arrays with slopes of similar to 0.9 and 1.37, respectively, in three-isotope representations, most likely representing Galactic chemical evolution (GCE). The Mg-25-rich grains (similar to 25%) show enrichments in Mg-25 of up to a factor 2.4 relative to solar composition and most likely formed in supernova (SN) ejecta or the winds of intermediate-mass AGB stars. The Mg-26-rich and Mg-25-poor Group 1 grains lie below the Mg GCE line and their isotopic compositions favor origins from supergiants or SNe. The O isotope Group 2 grains show a wide range of Mg-isotopic compositions, similar to Group 1 grains, with likely origins from massive AGB stars, super-AGB stars, supergiants, and SNe. The Mg- and Si-isotopic compositions of Group 4 grains are compatible with previously proposed SN origins. Our results suggest that >30% of presolar silicates formed in the winds of supergiants and in SN ejecta, and that low-mass AGB stars appear to have contributed only some 50% to presolar silicates, less than previously thought.

Automated summary

The study reveals that over 30% of presolar silicates originated from the winds of supergiants and in supernova ejecta, while low-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars contributed only around 50%, less than previously thought. The findings suggest a more diverse range of stellar environments involved in the formation of presolar silicates, with significant contributions from supernovae and supergiants.