Abstract
VERY little is known about erosion in space—the action of dust, gas, ions and electrons in wearing away material from exposed surfaces in interplanetary space. A cosmic-ray exposure age is obtained from the measurement of one radioactive and one stable spallation isotope produced in a meteorite by cosmic rays. A new interpretation of this age indicates that it sets an upper limit to the erosion-rate of a meteorite in space. The more obvious interpretations in terms of meteoritic break-up and planetary perturbational effects may remain valid.
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References
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WHIPPLE, F., FIREMAN, E. Calculation of Erosion in Space from the Cosmic-Ray Exposure Ages of Meteorites. Nature 183, 1315 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1831315a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1831315a0
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