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A comparison of solar wind and estimated solar system xenon abundances - A test for solid/gas fractionation in the solar nebulaThe solar Xe elemental abundance is determined here using solar wind measurements from lunar ilmenites which are normalized to Si by spacecraft data. The results are compared with estimated abundances assuming no fractionation. When corrected for solar wind/photospheric fractionation, the Xe-130 abundance given by surface layer oxidation of ilmenite from solid 71501 exposed within the last 200 m.y. is 0.24 +/- 0.09 normalized to Si = 10 exp 6. This is indistinguishable from estimates made assuming no solid/gas fractionation. Results from breccia 79035 ilmenite exposed at least 1 Gyr ago indicate that the solar wind Xe flux may have been significantly higher relative to other noble gases, perhaps due to more efficient Xe ionization. If this is true, fluxes of C and S, which have first ionization potentials similar to Xe, should also be higher in the ancient solar wind from the same time period.
Document ID
19920048241
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wiens, Roger C.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Burnett, D. S.
(California Institute of Technology Pasadena, United States)
Neugebauer, M.
(JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Pepin, R. O.
(Minnesota, University Minneapolis, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: Houston, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 18, 1991
End Date: March 22, 1991
Sponsors: Lunar and Planetary Institute, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, NASA
Accession Number
92A30865
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG9-94
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG9-60
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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