Title:
Interstellar 60Fe in Antarctica
Abstract:
For over a decade, geological records of 60Fe have been used as evidence for a nearby (<~100 pc) supernova 2-3 Myr ago. In this new paper by Koll et al. (2019), dust grains bearing 60Fe are found in Antarctic snow. This is the first time that enhanced interstellar 60Fe has been found in modern samples, indicating a continuing flux of 60Fe coming from our local stellar environment. We will briefly review past measurements and discuss how this new result was obtained. In addition, we will discuss how this work can help us understand a plethora of topics, from supernova nucleosynthesis to dust formation to the Local Bubble.
