Injection mechanisms of short-lived radionuclides and their homogenization

Abstract

The supernova injection model for the origin of the short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) in the early solar system is reviewed. First, the meteoritic evidence supporting the model is discussed. Based on the presence of 60Fe it is argued that a supernova must have been in close proximity to the nascent Solar System. Then, two models of supernova injection, the supernova trigger model and the aerogel model, are described in detail. Both these injection model provide a mechanism for incorporating SLRs into the early solar system. Following this, the mechanisms present in the disk to homogenize the freshly injected radionuclides, and the timescales associated with these mechanisms, are described. It is shown that the SLRs can be homogenized on very short timescales, from a thousand years up to ∼1 million years. Finally, the SLR ratios expected from a supernova injection are compared to the ratios measured in meteorites. A single supernova can inject enough radionuclides to explain the radionuclide abundances present in the early solar system.