  The abundance of the neutron-rich magnesium isotopes observed in metal-poor
stars is explained quantitatively with a chemical evolution model of the local
Galaxy that considers - for the first time - the metallicity-dependent
contribution from intermediate mass stars. Previous models that simulate the
variation of Mg isotopic ratios with metallicity in the solar neighbourhood
have attributed the production of Mg25 and Mg26 exclusively to hydrostatic
burning in massive stars.
  These models match the data well for [Fe/H]>-1.0 but severely underestimate
Mg25/Mg24 and Mg26/Mg24 at lower metallicities. Earlier studies have noted that
this discrepancy may indicate a significant role played by intermediate-mass
stars. Only recently have detailed calculations of intermediate-mass stellar
yields of Mg25 and Mg26 become available with which to test this hypothesis. In
an extension of previous work, we present a model that successfully matches the
Mg isotopic abundances in nearby Galactic disk stars through the incorporation
of nucleosynthesis predictions of Mg isotopic production in asymptotic giant
branch stars.
