The 13C-Pocket Structure in AGB Models: Constraints from Zirconium Isotope Abundances in Single Mainstream SiC Grains

Nan Liu1,2,3, Roberto Gallino4, Sara Bisterzo4,5, Andrew M. Davis1,2,6, Michael R. Savina2,3, and Michael J. Pellin1,2,3,6

1Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
2Chicago Center for Cosmochemistry, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
3Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
4Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, Torino I-10125, Italy
5INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino-Strada Osservatorio 20, Pino Torinese I-10025, Italy
6Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

We present postprocess asymptotic giant branch (AGB) nucleosynthesis models with different 13C-pocket internal structures to better explain zirconium isotope measurements in mainstream presolar SiC grains by Nicolussi et al. and Barzyk et al. We show that higher-than-solar 92Zr/94Zr ratios can be predicted by adopting a 13C-pocket with a flat 13C profile, instead of the previous decreasing-with-depth 13C profile. The improved agreement between grain data for zirconium isotopes and AGB models provides additional support for a recent proposal of a flat 13C profile based on barium isotopes in mainstream SiC grains by Liu et al.

Reference
Liu N, Gallino R, Bisterzo S, Davis AM, Savina MR and Pellin MJ (in press) The 13C-Pocket Structure in AGB Models: Constraints from Zirconium Isotope Abundances in Single Mainstream SiC Grains. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 788:163.
[doi:10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/163]

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