Tritium Retention in Iron Meteorites

Abstract

THE main point developed by Dr. Tilles is that even though tritium is occasionally absent in some iron meteorites, it is present in others, but still in lower than expected quantities. This observation is used by him to preclude the possibility that tritium decays with an abnormally short half-life in metallic iron. He goes on to explain his preferred hypothesis that the low concentration of tritium in iron meteorites is due to losses by diffusion after the meteorites have reached the Earth. The small quantitiesof tritium found, even after many years, are attributed to the fact that the proposed fast diffusion loss occurs only in one of the forms of iron making up the meteorites. In his opinion, the tritium which is still found in some iron meteorites after several years is that concentrated in the tsenite phase.