Extinct radionuclidesExtinct radionuclides, or radioactive isotopes with lifetimes of the order of 1 to 100 Myr that are now extinct in the solar system are discussed. Evidence is presented for the presence of such radionuclides in the early solar system, including Al-26, Mn-53, Pd-107, I-129, Pu-244, and Sm-146. It is suggested that the abundances of these species provide constraints on nucleosynthetic time scales and the history of solar system materials before they became the solar system. The shortest-lived species is Al-26, which may have been sufficiently abundant to be the major heat source for meteorite parent-body metamorphism or igneous differentiation.
Document ID
19890040148
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Podosek, F. A. (Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Swindle, T. D. (Washington University Saint Louis, MO, United States)