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Cratering and cosmogenic nuclides
Author(s) -
Blake Michael L.,
Wasserburg G. J.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl002i011p00477
Subject(s) - regolith , nuclide , cosmogenic nuclide , impact crater , geology , population , diffusion , diffusion equation , physics , astrobiology , nuclear physics , cosmic ray , thermodynamics , demography , economy , sociology , economics , service (business)
A simple probabilistic model was constructed for the average value of a cosmogenic nuclide as a function of depth in a regolith. An arbitrary function was chosen for the size distribution of craters. The resulting integro‐differential equation was found to reduce in limiting cases to: 1) the marching equation with a characteristic residence time, and 2) to the diffusion equation. The regolith diffusion constant is shown to be a simple integral of the cratering rate weighted by geometrical terms. This formal treatment provides a direct and general connection between cosmogenic nuclides and cratering rates and crater population in a simple analytical form. The validity of this model remains to be tested.