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Exposure Ages for Iron Meteorites

Nature volume 186, pages 1040–1042 (1960)Cite this article

Abstract

THE rare gases in iron meteorites induced by cosmic rays can be used to obtain estimates of the exposure ages of the meteorites1–3. The rare-gas nuclides are formed by the nuclear reactions induced by high-energy cosmic-ray particles at a presumably constant rate in time and space. The rate is, however, dependent on the depth at which the sample being investigated is below the surface of the meteorite in its flight through space. This depth is dependent on the absorption of the cosmic-ray particles by the meteorite.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, Long Island, New York

    OLIVER A. SCHAEFFER & DAVID E. FISHER

Authors
  1. OLIVER A. SCHAEFFER
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  2. DAVID E. FISHER
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SCHAEFFER, O., FISHER, D. Exposure Ages for Iron Meteorites. Nature 186, 1040–1042 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/1861040a0

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