Presolar (?) Corundum in the Orgueil Meteorite

Abstract

The discovery in chondritic meteorites of diamond, SiC, and poorly crystallized graphite that formed around other stars demonstrated conclusively that presolar dust survived the formation of the solar system to be incorporated into meteorites. The presolar nature of these grains is shown by the highly unusual isotopic compositions of their constituent elements. To date, all recognized types of presolar grains have been carbon rich and apparently formed around carbon stars, those with C/O greater than 1. The discovery of the first oxygen-rich grain with isotopic characteristics consistent with a presolar origin is reported. Oxygen-rich grains presumably form only around stars with C/O less than 1.

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