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New Determinations of Iridium and Tantalum in Meteoritic Materials (An Interim Report)
Author(s) -
EHMANN WILLIAM D.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
meteoritics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 0026-1114
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1963.tb01401.x
Subject(s) - iridium , tantalum , meteorite , neutron activation analysis , radiochemistry , astrobiology , materials science , chemistry , metallurgy , physics , biochemistry , catalysis
Neutron activation analysis has proven to be an extremely valuable tool in meteoritics. Its major advantages are its extremely high sensitivity for many elements and its freedom from reagent and laboratory contamination. Data have been obtained by this technique on the abundances of iridium and tantalum in meteorites, meteoritic phases and related materials. Chondritic abundances of 0.46 ppm iridium and 0.23 ppm tantalum have been determined, based on 20 and 9 analyses, respectively. Some observations relating to theories of meteorite formation are made, based on the data obtained to date. Additional analyses for these elements are currently under way.