What can we learn from presolar grains?

Presolar grains contain the original atoms of the stars in which they were formed. They are thus samples of stars we can study in the laboratory and are providing interesting information about a wide range of astrophysical topics.

Stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis

On the basis of their isotopic compositions, most presolar grains are believed to have originated in two types of stellar environments: red giant stars and supernova explosions.

Galactic chemical evolution

Age of the Galaxy

Circumstellar dust grain formation

Conditions in the very early Solar System