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POTASSIUM AS REACTION PRODUCT OF COSMIC RADIATION IN IRON METEORITES (in German)

Journal Article · · Z. Naturforsch
OSTI ID:4233127
The isotopic abundance of K in iron meteorites was determined. Since the K concentration in Fe meteorites is extremely small, and since the slightest contamination by terrestrial K can lead to large distortions of the mass spectrum of meteoritic K, new methods must be developed for separation of about 10/sup -9/ to 1O/sup -8/ g of K from meteorite samples of only a few grams, and for mass spectrometric isotope abundance determination in small amounts of K. The mass spectrum is given by superimposition of mass spectra irom three different types of K: (11 cosmogenic K which results from interaction of cosmic rays on meteorites by a spallation process on iron nuclei and which has a much more uniform isotopic abundance distribution than the ""general"" terrestrial K; (2) K already existing in the meteorite which has almost the same isotope distribution as terrestrial K; (3) contamination with normal terrestrial, for example, resulting from self-emission of K-ion sources. Under conditions in which the latter of these fractions was least important, the following relative abundances for three different iron meteorites were measuredi Carbo-K/sup 39/ 79.5%, K/sup 40/ 4.8%, K/sup 41/ 15.7%; TreysaK/sup 39/ 85.35%, K/sup 40/ 3.10%, K/sup 41/ 11.55%; Clark County-K/sup 39/ 90.8 K/sup 40/ 0.8%, K/sup 41/ 8.4%. Conclusions as to the differences in history (perhaps the radiation age) of the Carbo and Treysa Meteorites are produced by the measurements. (tr-auth)
Research Organization:
Max-Planck-Institut fur Chemie, Mainz
NSA Number:
NSA-14-002871
OSTI ID:
4233127
Journal Information:
Z. Naturforsch, Journal Name: Z. Naturforsch Vol. Vol: 14a
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
German

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