Lu-Hf total-rock isochron for the eucrite meteorites
Abstract
The isotope 176Lu (2.6% of natural lutetium) decays by β- to 176Hf, with a long half life. We present here the first Lu-Hf isochron. The eucrite meteorites, a suite of planetary igneous rocks of known age, 4,550 Myr, define a 10-point total-rock isochron with a slope of 0.0934 +/- 40, leading to a value of 3.53 +/- 0.14 ×1010yr for the β--decay half life of 176Lu. The isochron intercept of 0.27973 +/- 12 gives the initial 176Hf/177Hf for the inner Solar System at the time of accretion.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- December 1980
- DOI:
- 10.1038/288571a0
- Bibcode:
- 1980Natur.288..571P
- Keywords:
-
- Geochronology;
- Meteoritic Composition;
- Stony Meteorites;
- Hafnium Isotopes;
- Lutetium Isotopes;
- Radioactive Age Determination;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration