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18 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Extinct superheavy element in the Allende meteorite

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis of seven Allende samples for 26 trace elements were conducted. In addition, Cr and Fe were studied with the aid of instrumental neutron activation analysis. The investigation had the objective to identify the extinct superheavy element which was present in meteorites and decayed to Xe isotopes by spontaneous fission. The superheavy element was found to reside mainly in a rare mineral (probably a Fe, Ni, Cr, Al-sulfide), comprising only 0.04% of the meteorite. It is pointed out that of the nine volatile superheavy elements 111 to 119, only 115, 114, and 113 are expected to condense as sulfides in the temperature interval between 400 and 500 K corresponding to mineral formation conditions in the solar nebula.

Anders, E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Superheavy elements - An early solar system upper limit for elements 107 to 110

The abundance of samarium-152 in the Santa Clara iron meteorite is found to be 108 x 10 to the 7th atoms per gram. This quantity, if attributed to fission of a superheavy element with atomic number 107 to 109, limits the amount of superheavy elements in the early solar system to 0.000017 times the abundance of uranium-238. For element 110, the limit is 0.000034.

Nozette, S.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Barium isotopes in Allende meteorite - Evidence against an extinct superheavy element

Carbon and chromite fractions from the Allende meteorite that contain isotopically anomalous xenon-131 to xenon-136 (carbonaceous chondrite fission or CCF xenon) at up to 5 x 10 to the 11th atoms per gram show no detectable isotopic anomalies in barium-130 to barium-138. This rules out the possibility that the CCF xenon was formed by in situ fission of an extinct superheavy element. Apparently the CCF xenon and its carbonaceous carrier are relics from stellar nucleosynthesis.

Lewis, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Ultra-heavy cosmic rays: Theoretical implications of recent observations

Extreme ultraheavy cosmic ray observations (Z greater or equal 70) are compared with r-process models. A detailed cosmic ray propagation calculation is used to transform the calculated source distributions to those observed at the earth. The r-process production abundances are calculated using different mass formulae and beta-rate formulae; an empirical estimate based on the observed solar system abundances is used also. There is the continued strong indication of an r-process dominance in the extreme ultra-heavy cosmic rays. However it is shown that the observed high actinide/Pt ratio in the cosmic rays cannot be fit with the same r-process calculation which also fits the solar system material. This result suggests that the cosmic rays probably undergo some preferential acceleration in addition to the apparent general enrichment in heavy (r-process) material. As estimate also is made of the expected relative abundance of superheavy elements in the cosmic rays if the anomalous heavy xenon in carbonaceous chondrites is due to a fissioning superheavy element.

Blake, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Ultraheavy cosmic rays - Theoretical implications of recent observations

The recent extreme ultraheavy cosmic-ray observations (Z greater than or equal to 70) are compared with r-process models. A detailed cosmic ray propagation calculation is used to transform the calculated source distributions to those observed at the earth. The r-process production abundances are calculated using different mass formulae and beta-rate formulae; an empirical estimate based on the observed solar-system abundances is also used. There is the continued strong indication of an r-process dominance in the extreme ultraheavy cosmic rays. It is shown that the observed high actinide/Pt ratio in the cosmic rays cannot be fitted with the same r-process calculation which also fits the solar-system material. This result suggests that the cosmic rays probably undergo some preferential acceleration in addition to the apparent general enrichment in heavy (r-process) material. An estimate is also made of the expected relative abundance of superheavy elements in the cosmic rays if the anomalous heavy xenon in carbonaceous chondrites is due to a fissioning superheavy element.

Blake, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Nuclear tracks in lunar samples

An attempt is made to relate the appearance of an etched tract to the atomic number and velocity of the ion that left it using 10 MeV/nucleon Kr beams and 6 MeV/nucleon Zn beams. It was found that the etching rate along a tract in minerals and glass is a monototonic function of ionization rate thus, making particle identification possible. Results show the following were present in lunar samples: superheavy elements, cosmic rays with z greater than 26, and solar flare particles in Surveyor glass.

Price, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Host phase of a strange xenon component in Allende

A description is presented for the isolation and characterization of the host phase from the Allende C3V chondrite and a mass spectrometric study of the five noble gases in this phase. It is though that the Xe component may have been produced by spontaneous fission of an extinct superheavy element. The fission Xe resides in a minor fraction comprising 0.5% of the meteorite. The fraction consists of chromite, an unknown Cr, Fe-mineral, and amorphous carbon. The gas components and the progenitor of the fission Xe may have been trapped in these minerals when they formed from the solar nebula.

Lewis, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Isotopic anomalies of noble gases in meteorites and their origins. III - LL-chondrites

Nine LL-chondrites were studied by selective etching to characterize the noble gas components in three mineral fractions: HF-HCl-solubles, chromite and carbon. The Ne-20/Ar-36 ratio is considered, noting that chondrites of different petrologic types cannot all be derived from the same volatile rich ancestor, but must have formed over a range of temperatures, with correspondingly different volatile contents. Variations in the carbonaceous chondrite fission (CCFXe) component in LL3, LL5, and LL6 chondrites are discussed, noting that if CCFXe comes from a supernova, then its distribution in LL-chondrites requires three presolar carrier minerals of the right solubility properties, containing three different xenon components. However, if CCFXe comes from fission of a volatile superheavy element, then its decrease from LL3 to LL6 can be attributed to less complete condensation from the solar nebula. Finally, the three types of primordial xenon components which occur in different minerals of the same meteorite are described.

Alaerts, L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Primordial heating of asteroidal parent bodies

Most meteorites show evidence of thermal processing either because of metamorphic changes or as a result of melting and differentiation. Proposed mechanisms for supplying this energy generally rely upon short-lived radioisotopes or electrical induction, though accretion is sometimes mentioned, and more exotic models have been discussed. Interest in isotopic heating has been heightened by the discovery of Al-26 in Allende inclusions and also by the proposal that a lunar core and dynamo resulted from the radioactive decay of superheavy elements during the early solar system. Electrical induction as a heat source can be scaled to a broad range of solar system conditions, but corroborative evidence for these conditions is inconclusive. The accretion mechanism is probably not viable for the asteroidal and meteorite parent bodies, because the high kinetic energy requirement is inconsistent with the formation of the objects and their regoliths in the presence of a weak gravitational field.

Sonett, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Isotopically anomalous xenon in meteorites - A new clue to its origin

The CCF xenon component in primitive meteorites, which has been attributed either to fission of a superheavy element or to nucleosynthesis in a supernova, does not show the large enrichment in Xe-129 (from decay of 16 Myr I-129) expected for supernova ejecta. Although this problem can be circumvented by ad hoc assumptions, a fission origin of CCFXe seems more likely.

Lewis, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Isotopically anomalous nitrogen in primitive meteorites

The extreme enrichement in N-14 (up to 48 percent) found in acid-resistant residues of the Allende and Murchison meteorites cannot be attained by normal solar system processes and must therefore be due to stellar nucleosynthesis. Consequently the xenon component enriched in the heavy isotopes associated with the light nitrogen very probably was made by stellar nucleosynthesis rather than by fission of an extinct superheavy element.

Lewis, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Capabilities of the LDEF-2 heavy nuclei collection

To take the next big step beyond High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO-3) the Heavy Nuclei Collector (HNC), to be carried on an LDEF reflight, has the goals of greatly increased collecting power ( 30 actinides) and charge resolution sigma sub Z or = 0.25 E for Z up to approximately 100, which will provide abundances of all the charges 40 or Z or = 96 and permit sensitive searches for hypothetical particles such as monopoles, superheavy elements, and quark nuggets.

Drach, J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Lead and uranium group abundances in cosmic rays

The importance of Lead and Uranium group abundances in cosmic rays is discussed in understanding their evolution and propagation. The electronic detectors can provide good charge resolution but poor data statistics. The plastic detectors can provide somewhat better statistics but charge resolution deteriorates. The extraterrestrial crystals can provide good statistics but with poor charge resolution. Recent studies of extraterrestrial crystals regarding their calibration to accelerated uranium ion beam and track etch kinetics are discussed. It is hoped that a charge resolution of two charge units can be achieved provided an additional parameter is taken into account. The prospects to study abundances of Lead group, Uranium group and superheavy element in extraterrestrial crystals are discussed, and usefulness of these studies in the light of studies with electronic and plastic detectors is assessed.

Yadav, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A high-resolution study of ultra-heavy cosmic-ray nuclei (A0178)

The main objective of the experiment is a detailed study of the charge spectra of ultraheavy cosmic-ray nuclei from zinc (Z = 30) to uranium (Z = 92) and beyond using solid-state track detectors. Special emphasis will be placed on the relative abundances in the region Z or - 65, which is thought to be dominated by r-process nucleosynthesis. Subsidiary objectives include the study of the cosmic-ray transiron spectrum a search for the postulated long-lived superheavy (SH) nuclei (Z or = 110), such as (110) SH294, in the contemporary cosmic radiation. The motivation behind the search for super-heavy nuclei is based on predicted half-lives that are short compared to the age of the Earth but long compared to the age of cosmic rays. The detection of such nuclei would have far-reaching consequences for nuclear structure theory. The sample of ultraheavy nuclei obtained in this experiment will provide unique opportunities for many tests concerning element nucleosynthesis, cosmic-ray acceleration, and cosmic-ray propagation.

Osullivan, D.↗