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Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature

Abstract

Mass spectrometric measurements of plutonium isolated from Precambrian bastnasite confirm the presence of 244Pu in nature. Although the existence of 244Pu as an extinct radioactivity has been postulated to explain the xenon isotope ratios observed in meteorites, this is the first indication of its present existence in nature.

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HOFFMAN, D., LAWRENCE, F., MEWHERTER, J. et al. Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature. Nature 234, 132–134 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/234132a0

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