BArium isotopic composition of mainstream silicon carbides from murchison: Constraints for s-process nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch stars

Abstract

We present barium, carbon, and silicon isotopic compositions of 38 acid-cleaned presolar SiC grains from Murchison. Comparison with previous data shows that acid washing is highly effective in removing barium contamination. Strong depletions in δ(¹³⁸Ba/¹³⁶Ba) values are found, down to -400‰, which can only be modeled with a flatter ¹³C profile within the ¹³C pocket than is normally used. The dependence of δ(¹³⁸Ba/¹³⁶Ba) predictions on the distribution of ¹³C within the pocket in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models allows us to probe the ¹³C profile within the ¹³C pocket and the pocket mass in AGB stars. In addition, we provide constraints on the ²²Ne(α, n)²⁵Mg rate in the stellar temperature regime relevant to AGB stars, based on δ( ¹³⁴Ba¹³⁶Ba) values of mainstream grains. We found two nominally mainstream grains with strongly negative δ(¹³⁴Ba ¹³⁶Ba) values that cannot be explained by any of the current AGB model calculations. Instead, such negative values are consistent with the intermediate neutron capture process (i process), which is activated by the very late thermal pulse during the post-AGB phase and characterized by a neutron density much higher than the s process. These two grains may have condensed around post-AGB stars. Finally, we report abundances of two p-process isotopes, ¹³⁰Ba and ¹³²Ba, in single SiC grains. These isotopes are destroyed in the s process in AGB stars. By comparing their abundances with respect to that of ¹³⁵Ba, we conclude that there is no measurable decay of ¹³⁵Cs (t 1/2 = 2.3 Ma) to ¹³⁵Ba in individual SiC grains, indicating condensation of barium, but not cesium into SiC grains before ¹³⁵Cs decayed. © 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..