Abstract
This paper proposes that the third confirmed interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, is a dense fragment of a planetary core, ejected from its parent stellar system by a supernova event, rather than a primordial cometary nucleus. The hypothesis is constructed from first-principles physical reasoning and accounts for five anomalies observed in 3I/ATLAS that strain conventional cometary models: high inferred bulk density, nickel-rich coma chemistry, non-gravitational acceleration patterns, advanced age of the material, and the kinematic signature consistent with thick-disk galactic origin. The model further proposes that the same class of supernova event, when interacting with surrounding hydrogen clouds at the 1420 MHz line, can produce narrowband radio signatures consistent with the Wow! signal of 1977. The author's priority on this hypothesis is documented in a public Facebook post dated October 14, 2025 (before perihelion observations resolved key anomalies), in a Medium article from the same period, and in direct correspondence with Avi Loeb (Harvard, January 22, 2026) and Susanne Pfalzner (Forschungszentrum Jülich / Max Planck, January 26, 2026). This document formalizes the synthesis for citable defensive reference.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Harbison, Daniel Austin, "Supernova-Ejected Planetary Core Fragments as a Mechanism for Anomalous Interstellar Objects: Application to 3I/ATLAS", Technical Disclosure Commons, (May 18, 2026)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/10151