We performed an in-depth exploration of the Al-Mg system for presolar graphite, SiC, and Si 3 N 4 grains found to contain large excesses of 26 ratios that, on average, are ∼1.5-2 times larger than the ratios previously reported for the grains. The majority of presolar graphite and SiC grains are heavily affected by Al contamination, resulting in large negative Mg Mg 26 24 d intercepts of the isochron lines. Al contamination is potentially due to etching of the grains' surfaces and subsequent capture of dissolved Al during the acid dissolution of their meteorite host rocks. From the isochron fits, the magnitude of Al contamination was quantified for each grain. The amount of Al contamination on each grain was found to be random and independent of grain size, following a uniform distribution with an upper bound at 59% contamination. The Al contamination causes conventional whole-grain estimates to underpredict the initial Al Al ratios greatly exceed those predicted in the He/C and He/N zones of SN models.
We present C, N, O, Si, Al-Mg, K, Ca, and Ti isotopic analyses of seven high-density (ORG1f, $ 2:02 2:04 g cm À3 ) graphite grains from Orgueil with 12 C/ 13 C ratios smaller than 20. The presence of 44 Ti in three of these grains indicates an origin in Type II supernovae (SNe). The 13 C excesses in these SNe grains, however, remain enigmatic. The remaining grains have extremely large Ca and Ti isotopic anomalies, some of which are much larger than those predicted for envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. These anomalies in conjunction with low 12 C/ 13 C ratios can only be explained by pure nucleosynthetic He-shell components of AGB stars. Born-again AGB stars that experience a late He flash are able to explain the low 12 C/ 13 C ratios of some of the grains along with the presence of extreme enrichments in the Ca and Ti isotopes. This study indicates that high-density graphite grains have multiple stellar sources: SNe and born-again AGB stars, in addition to the previously established low-metallicity AGB stars.
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