Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 1960
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1960natur.188.1102s&link_type=abstract
Nature, Volume 188, Issue 4756, pp. 1102 (1960).
Physics
1
Scientific paper
IN our communication it was pointed out that it is possible to estimate a cosmic-ray exposure age for a meteorite from a measurement of the stable rare gas contents alone. The difficulty with such estimates in the past has been that it was not possible to estimate the cosmic-ray production-rate of a stable nuclide in the particular sample of the meteoroid measured, as the production-rate depends on the unknown depth of the measured sample in a meteoroid of unknown size. The proposed estimate of production-rate was made from the observation that for meteorites with low argon-39 and chlorine-36 activity (that is, low cosmic-ray nuclide production-rates) the ratio helium-3/argon-38 is lower than in meteorites with high argon-39 and chlorine-36 activities. It was also pointed out that the same is true for the ratios helium-3/helium-4 and neon-21/argon-38. The discussion of the dependence on energy of these ratios was included to give a possible explanation for the observed dependence. The only assumptions made were that the dependence is not a coincidence or an experimental error. This argument has been discussed by Wäanke in the preceding communication. Contrary to Wänke's statement, the estimation of the exposure ages is not based on assumptions concerning the energy spectrum of the cosmic-ray particles producing the rare gases or on whether the ratios are a measure of the mean energy. The estimation is based only on experimental observations which indicate a relationship between the ratios helium-3/argon-38, helium-3/helium-4, neon-4/argon-38 and the production-rate of the radioactive nuclides chlorine-36 and argon-39 by cosmic rays.
No associations
LandOfFree
Exposure Ages for Iron Meteorites does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Exposure Ages for Iron Meteorites, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Exposure Ages for Iron Meteorites will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1581232