2012ApJ...750L..15T

We present an analysis of ⁷Li/⁶Li isotope ratios along four sight lines that probe diffuse molecular gas near the supernova remnant IC 443. Recent gamma-ray observations have revealed the presence of shock-accelerated cosmic rays interacting with the molecular cloud surrounding the remnant. Our results indicate that the ⁷Li/⁶Li ratio is lower in regions more strongly affected by these interactions, a sign of recent Li production by cosmic rays. We find that ⁷Li/⁶Li ~7 toward HD 254755, which is located just outside the visible edge of IC 443, while ⁷Li/⁶Li ~3 along the line of sight to HD 43582, which probes the interior region of the supernova remnant. No evidence of ⁷Li synthesis by neutrino-induced spallation is found in material presumably contaminated by the ejecta of a core-collapse supernova. The lack of a neutrino signature in the ⁷Li/⁶Li ratios near IC 443 is consistent with recent models of Galactic chemical evolution, which suggest that the ν-process plays only a minor role in Li production.