Supernovae and Single-Year Anomalies in the Atmospheric Radiocarbon Record. Issue 2 (1st August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dee, Michael; Pope, Benjamin; Miles, Daniel; Manning, Sturt; Miyake, Fusa
• Is Part Of: Radiocarbon. Volume 59:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 293
• Page End: 302
• Publication Date: 2016-08-01
• Subjects: Supernova, -- Miyake event, -- gamma flux; Radiocarbon dating -- Periodicals; 930.1028505
• DOI: 10.1017/RDC.2016.50
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-8222

Abstract

Abstract: Single-year spikes in radiocarbon production are caused by intense bursts of radiation from space. Supernovae emit both high-energy particle and electromagnetic radiation, but it is the latter that is most likely to strike the atmosphere all at once and cause a surge in 14 C production. In the 1990s, it was claimed that the supernova in 1006 CE produced exactly this effect. With the 14 C spikes in the years 775 and 994 CE now attributed to extreme solar events, attention has returned to the question of whether historical supernovae are indeed detectable using annual 14 C measurements. Here, we combine new and existing measurements over six documented and putative supernovae, and conclude that no such astrophysical event has yet left a distinct imprint on the past atmospheric 14 C record.