A Test of the Supernova Trigger Hypothesis with ⁶⁰Fe and ²⁶Al

It is shown that if the ²⁶Al inventory of the early solar system, taken as (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)=5×10⁻⁵, is a result of injection of fresh debris from a Type II supernova (SNII), then ⁶⁰Fe/⁵⁶Fe would have to be between 3×10⁻⁷ and 1×10⁻⁵. This inferred correlation of ²⁶Al and ⁶⁰Fe is based on the observation that both nuclei are produced dominantly in the O/Ne zone and that for SNII ejecta ²⁶Al/⁶⁰Fe is between 0.6 and 23. A similar correlation applies to ⁴¹Ca,³⁶Cl,¹⁶O, and ¹⁸O, which are also produced in the same zone or in nearby regions. The supernova trigger hypothesis may be tested by determination of ⁶⁰Ni excesses correlated with Fe in samples where ²⁶Al was demonstrated to be present. From available experimental data, it appears that the observed abundance of ⁶⁰Fe is too low to be compatible with a supernova trigger that injected the ²⁶Al into the protosolar nebula. The same is true for ⁵³Mn, a short-lived nucleus produced in the outer edge of the Ni core.