Boutique neutrons advance 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology

Rutte, Daniel; Renne, Paul R.; Morrell, Jonathan; Qi, Liqiang; Ayllon, Mauricio; van Bibber, Karl; Wilson, Jonathan; Becker, Tim A.; Batchelder, Jon; Bernstein, Lee A.; Lebois, Mathieu; James, Jay; Chong, Su-Ann; Heriot, Will L.; Wallace, Max; Marcial, Angel; Johnson, Charles; Woolley, Graham; Adams, Parker A.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw5526

Title: Boutique neutrons advance ⁴⁰ Ar/ ³⁹ Ar geochronology

Journal Article · 01 September 2019 · Science Advances

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw5526 · OSTI ID:1626014

^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[4]; van Bibber, Karl ^[2]; Wilson, Jonathan ^[3];

^[5]; Batchelder, Jon ^[2];

^[2]; Lebois, Mathieu ^[3];

^[2]; Chong, Su-Ann ^[2];

^[2];

^[2]; Johnson, Charles ^[2]; Woolley, Graham ^[2];

^[2]

Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Institut de Physique Nucléaire d’Orsay, 91406 Orsay Cedex, France.
Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA

We designed and tested a compact deuteron-deuteron fusion neutron generator for application to⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology. The nearly monoenergetic neutrons produced for sample irradiation are anticipated to provide several advantages compared with conventional fission spectrum neutrons: Reduction of collateral nuclear reactions increases age accuracy and precision. Irradiation parameters within the neutron generator are more controllable compared with fission reactors. Confidence in the prediction of recoil energies is improved, and their likely reduction potentially broadens applicability of the dating method to fine-grained materials without vacuum encapsulation. Resolution of variation in the³⁹K(n,p)³⁹Ar neutron capture cross section at 1.3 to 3.2 MeV and discovery of a strong resonance at ~2.4 MeV illuminate future pathways to improve the technique for⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF); German Research Foundation (DFG)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; EAR-0960138; RU2065/1-1

OSTI ID:: 1626014

Journal Information:: Science Advances, Vol. 5, Issue 9; ISSN 2375-2548

Publisher:: AAASCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 3 works

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