Credit: SciTechDaily.comIn a groundbreaking discovery published in the prominent Astrophysical Journal, researchers have actually identified a rare dust particle lodged within an ancient extraterrestrial meteorite, shedding new light on the origins of stars beyond our solar system.Advanced Research TechniquesLed by Dr. Nicole Nevill of the Universities Space Research Association at LPI, throughout her Ph.D. studies at Curtin University, the research group meticulously analyzed the dust particle, diving into its atomic composition with unrivaled precision using atom probe tomography.Atom probe tomography is an instrument that breaks samples down to the atomic structure and rebuilds them in 3D resulting in the specific x, y, z collaborates of each atom in the specimen. As the very first known comprehensive chemical research study of a presolar grain from a hydrogen-burning supernova, the outcomes unlocked brand-new insights into hydrogen-burning supernovas and their evolutionary conditions.New Insights into Star FormationFurthermore, this amazing finding marks the first time presolar silicates have been studied using atom probe tomography, the greatest spatial resolution technique in geochronological and geochemical research. The atom probe has actually expanded the range of measurable isotopes per presolar grain volume and accomplishes a brand-new level of information essential for assisting us comprehend how these stars form.For more on this research, see Unprecedented Find in Meteorite Challenges Astrophysical Models.Reference: “Atomic-scale Element and Isotopic Investigation of 25Mg-rich Stardust from an H-burning Supernova” by N. D. Nevill, P. A. Bland, D. W. Saxey, W. D. A. Rickard, P. Guagliardo, N. E. Timms, L. V. Forman, L. Daly and S. M. Reddy, 28 March 2024, The Astrophysical Journal.DOI: 10.3847/ 1538-4357/ ad2996.