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arXiv · 1708.08248

Near-Earth supernova activity during the past 35 Myr

Mads Sørensen·Henrik Svensmark·Uffe Gråe Jørgensen
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Abstract

Here we combine observations of open clusters (OCs) with single- and binary population synthesis models and a Galactic potential to reconstruct the SN activity of these OCs during the past 35 Myr. We find that several OCs potentially hosting SN progenitors have passed within 100 pc of the Sun during the past 35 Myr. In particular we find that ASCC 19, NGC 1981, and NGC 1976 are likely to have hosted one or more SNe while passing within 200 pc of the solar system in the period 17 - 12 Myr BP which might have affected Earths' geology and climate. Besides the stellar history of the individual OCs we also compute 1) a spatial and temporal 2D-probability density map showing the most likely position and time of SN from our sample of OCs within 1 kpc during the past 35 Myr, 2) the time series of the SN rate per volume and 3) the relative SN rate compared with today and corrected for OC evaporation of older generations. The SN rate today from core collapse is estimated to be 37.8$\pm$6.1$\rm kpc^{-3} Myr^{-1}$. During the past 35 Myr we find a peak SN rate around 10 Myr before present (BP) where the rate was 40% higher relative to the past 1 Myr. Finally we discuss possible effects of binary stellar evolution in relation to the history of SN production in the solar neighbourhood and the detected $\rm ^{60}Fe$ signal in terrestrial geological samples induced between $\sim$2.2 - 2.8Myr BP.

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Mads Sørensen, Henrik Svensmark, Uffe Gråe Jørgensen. 2017-08-28. Near-Earth supernova activity during the past 35 Myr. https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.08248

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