Neutrinos, supernovae, molybdenum, and extinct 92Nb Original Research Article

Alpha-rich freezeouts in matter near the mass cut in supernovae, aided by neutrino-induced reactions, can strongly produce the light p-isotopes 92,94Mo, whose provenance is currently not well understood. If such alpha-rich freezeouts are responsible for the bulk of the solar systemʹs supply of these isotopes, then they also robustly produce radioactive 92Nb, which would lead to a steady-state ratio of View the MathML source in the interstellar medium higher than inferred to have been present in the early solar system. Such a result would place 92Nb in the same category as the short-lived r-process chronometers 107Pd, 129I, and 244Pu, which were also less abundant in the early solar system than steady-state expectations would suggest.