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Implied Superheavy Element Decay Lifetime from Meteorites

Nature volume 233, pages 258–260 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

Schramm and Fowler1 demonstrated that superheavy elements could be synthesized in the r-process. In the light of these calculations it is interesting to look at the anomalous heavy Xe isotopic composition of carbonaceous chondrites. Rowe2 has shown that these isotopic anomalies could be caused by the fission of some unknown nucleus. The Xe isotopic composition for this carbonaceous chondrite fission (CCF) spectrum is very different from the 244Pu fission spectrum measured by Alexander et al.3 and observed in other types of meteorites4–6. A reasonable candidate for this unknown fissioning nucleus would be a long lived element7–10.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

    DAVID N. SCHRAMM

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  1. DAVID N. SCHRAMM
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SCHRAMM, D. Implied Superheavy Element Decay Lifetime from Meteorites. Nature 233, 258–260 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/233258a0

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