Abstract
We suggest that the unidentified fission xenon component in carbonaceous chondrites may be attributable to the decay of the extinct radioactivities250Cm and, to a lesser extent,258Cm. Two assumptions are fundamental to this picture: (1) these relatively short-lived actinides (1.13×104 and 3.7×105 yr, respectively) were incorporated into grains in the vicinity of their supernova birthplace (prior to decay); and (2) such grains and their trapped anomalous xenon component were incorporated intact into the meteorites. Recognizing the many substantial uncertainties associated with our suggested model, we emphasize the importance of precise experimental determinations of the mass spectra of fission xenon resulting from250Cm and248Cm decay.
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Supported in part by the National Science Foundation (MPS 73-05117 A01 at the University of Illinois).
Chargé de Recherches F.N.R.S. On leave of absence from the Institut d'Astronomie et d'Astrophysique, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
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Howard, W.M., Arnould, M. & Truran, J.W. On possible short-lived progenitors of fission xenon in carbonaceous chondrites. Astrophys Space Sci 36, L1–L9 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00681956
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00681956