Pre-solar grains

The potential components that might have delivered volatile elements to the Earth are the PSN (the major reservoir in the Solar System) and solid matter bodies such as meteorites and comets. The composition of meteoritic volatiles is thought to have been derived from the PSN through elemental and isotopic fractionation. Contributions from sources outside the Solar System such as pre-solar grains or species affected by interstellar chemistry are attested by the discovery of pre-solar grains in primitive meteorites on one hand, and by the large variation of the D/H ratio in the Solar System on another hand, but their extent is a matter of debate. A comparison of the abundances of... 

The properties of the interstellar medium have been deduced from analysis of extensive observations covering most of the electromagnetic spectrum (Fig. 2.8). Except for the analysis of pre-solar grain inclusions in meteorites, no in-situ measurement is possible because of the large distance of the objects. In the following, we describe the main observation methods and the information carried out by photons across the electromagnetic spectrum. 

Nittler, L. R. (1997) Pre solar oxide grains in meteorites. In Astrophysical Implications of the Laboratory Study of Presolar Materials, T. J. Bematowicz E. K. Zinner, Eds., pp. 59-84. AIP Conf. Proc. 402. 

Various potential applications of nanoSIMS in characterization of solids have already been recognized. Though the technique seems to be promising in cosmochemical analysis, its real application is still limited due to the strong isobaric interference. However, nanoSIMS is a more flexible alternative for elements that are ionized easily (Hoppe et al. 2004 Marhas et al. 2003) when compared with RIMS or TIMS. Hoppe et al. (2004) of MPl for Chemistry, Mainz, reported the measurement of extinct A1, Mn, and Fe in meteoritic minerals formed early in solar system history. They also measured extinct Ti and and s-process Ba in pre-solar silicon carbide grains of supernova origin. 

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