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. 1975 Jan;72(1):268–273. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.1.268

Condensation Time of the Solar Nebula from Extinct 129I in Primitive Meteorites

Roy S Lewis 1,2, Edward Anders 1,2
PMCID: PMC432285  PMID: 16592213

Abstract

Mineral separates from five carbonaceous chondrites were dated by extinct 16 million year 129I, in an attempt to establish the condensation time of the solar nebula. Two Fe3O4 or Fe3O4-FeS samples from the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites are older than any other material dated thus far, and apparently formed within 2 × 105 years of each other. The great age, close isochronism, and primitive nature of the samples suggest that the event recorded was the condensation stage of the solar nebula. It provides a suitable zero point for the chronology of the early solar system. The 129I/127I ratio during condensation of the nebula was (1.46 ± 0.04) × 10-4. The recrystallized C4 chondrite Karoonda began to retain 129Xe 1.8 ± 0.5 million years after the above event. This short cooling time implies rapid aceretion (≤1 million years) and a shallow origin (≤10 km) below the surface of its parent body.

Keywords: solar system, nucleosynthesis, age determination, extinct radioactivity, xenon isotopes

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Selected References

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