Extinct 244Pu in ancient zircons

Grenville Turner; T. Mark Harrison; Greg Holland; Stephen J. Mojzsis; Jamie Gilmour

doi:10.1126/science.1101014

Extinct ²⁴⁴Pu in ancient zircons

Grenville Turner^*, T. Mark Harrison, Greg Holland, Stephen J. Mojzsis, Jamie Gilmour

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

57 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We have found evidence, in the form of fissiogenic xenon isotopes, for in situ decay of ²⁴⁴Pu in individual 4.1- to 4.2-billion-year-old zircons from the Jack Hills region of Western Australia. Because of its short half-life, 82 million years, ²⁴⁴Pu was extinct within 600 million years of Earth's formation. Detrital zircons are the only known relics to have survived from this period, and a study of their Pu geochemistry will allow us to date ancient metamorphic events and determine the terrestrial Pu/U ratio for comparison with the solar ratio.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	89-91
Number of pages	3
Journal	Science
Volume	306
Issue number	5693
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1101014
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2004

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AU - Mojzsis, Stephen J.

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N2 - We have found evidence, in the form of fissiogenic xenon isotopes, for in situ decay of 244Pu in individual 4.1- to 4.2-billion-year-old zircons from the Jack Hills region of Western Australia. Because of its short half-life, 82 million years, 244Pu was extinct within 600 million years of Earth's formation. Detrital zircons are the only known relics to have survived from this period, and a study of their Pu geochemistry will allow us to date ancient metamorphic events and determine the terrestrial Pu/U ratio for comparison with the solar ratio.

AB - We have found evidence, in the form of fissiogenic xenon isotopes, for in situ decay of 244Pu in individual 4.1- to 4.2-billion-year-old zircons from the Jack Hills region of Western Australia. Because of its short half-life, 82 million years, 244Pu was extinct within 600 million years of Earth's formation. Detrital zircons are the only known relics to have survived from this period, and a study of their Pu geochemistry will allow us to date ancient metamorphic events and determine the terrestrial Pu/U ratio for comparison with the solar ratio.

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SP - 89

EP - 91

JO - Science

JF - Science

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Extinct ²⁴⁴Pu in ancient zircons

Abstract

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