Rare plutonium from space found in deep-sea crust

[Admin]

A rare type of plutonium has been found in the crust below the deep sea, offering new clues as to how heavy metals form in star explosions and mergers.

Rare plutonium from space found in deep-sea crust : Read more

 

[Catastrophe]

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A rare version of the radioactive element plutonium embedded in Earth's crust below the deep sea is providing new clues as to how heavy metals form in the stars.

The new research finds that the isotope, called plutonium-244, may arrive on Earth in tandem with iron-60, a lighter metal known to form in supernovas, explosions that occur during the death throes of many types of stars. This finding suggests that supernovas may create both heavy metals — although it's possible that other events, such as the mergers of neutron stars, are responsible for at least some of the plutonium-244.
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OK so far, but see below (in the article).


Cat

 

[rod]

This report on the r-process interpreted find says "The story is complicated—possibly this plutonium-244 was produced in supernova explosions or it could be left over from a much older, but even more spectacular event such as a neutron star detonation," lead author of the study, Professor Wallner said. Any plutonium-244 and iron-60 that existed when the Earth formed from interstellar gas and dust over four billion years ago has long since decayed, so current traces of them must have originated from recent cosmic events in space.", Extraterrestrial radioactive isotope found in seabed has implications for Earth's origins, https://phys.org/news/2021-05-extraterrestrial-radioactive-isotope-seabed-implications.html

Extinct radionuclides keep turning up in Earth strata from time to time, e.g. iron-60, measurable amounts of 60Fe, 53Mn, 26Al, 36Cl, or 41Ca in Cambrian and Precambrian rock layers. My observation. Tracing any of the finds back to specific r-process events in space is difficult and necessary. Otherwise the age of the various strata on Earth where extinct radionuclides turn up could be called into question.

 

[Pogo]

It is no stretch to imagine small meteorites containing these isotopes falling on the earth. From an astronomical time scale, supernovae occur frequently enough not too far away to allow such debris, given the half-life of Pu244 is some 80My, a good fraction of the sun’s galactic orbit. Perhaps a few neutron star interactions as well.