Engineering topics

Garrison, D. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Garrison, D. H..

46 records · Page 3

NASA NTRS1993

The SCR Ne-21 and Ar-38 in lunar rock 68815: The solar proton energy spectrum over the past 2 MYR

We determined concentration profiles of Ne-21, Ne-22, and Ar-38 produced by solar protons as a function of depth in oriented lunar rock 68815. A comparison with model predictions indicate a solar proton flux J(4(pi)(r); E greater than 10 MeV) of 100-125 p/sq. cm/s and a rigidity, R sub 0, of 85-100 MV, assuming an erosion rate of 1-2 mm/Myr. These results for 68815 and similar results on 61016 define the integrated solar proton energy spectrum at the moon over the past approximately 2 Myr.

Garrison, D. H.↗

NASA NTRS1993

SCR neon and argon in Kapoeta feldspar: Evidence for an active ancient Sun

From etched feldspar size-fractions of Kapoeta, we determine a significant excess of cosmogenic Ne-21 and Ar-38 over that produced by galactic cosmic rays. This excess component is attributed to early production by energetic solar protons and suggest that the energetic proton flux from the ancient Sun was several hundred times more intense than that of the contemporary Sun.

Rao, M. N.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Chronology of lunar granite 12033,576: Resetting of Rb-Sr and K-Ca isochrons

Lunar granite 12033,576 is a subsample of the 'large' (approximately 1 g) felsite 12033,507 which was identified from a collection of 4-10 mm particles from the 12033 soil sampled from the north rim of Head Crater in the eastern part of Oceanus Procellarum. Discordant ages of approximately 3.6, approximately 0.8, approximately 3.9, and approximately 2.2 Ga for this lunar granite were obtained, respectively, by the K-Ca, Ar-39/Ar-40, and U-Pb zircon methods in previous studies and by the Rb-Sr method is this study. Assuming the granite crystallized approximately 3.9 Ga ago (zircon age) and was shocked by meteoritic impacts at 0.8 Ga ago (Ar-39-Ar-40 age), the intermediate apparent ages by the Rb-Sr and K-Ca methods can be interpreted as reset by diffusion of the parent and daughter nuclides. The Rb-Sr age is less resistant to resetting than the K-Ca age, but more resistant that the Ar-39/Ar-40 age.

Shih, C.-Y.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Cosmogenic nuclides in core samples of the Chico L6 chondrite - Evidence for irradiation under high shielding

Results are presented from an analysis of core samples obtained from different depths of the Chico (New Mexico) L6 chondrite for various cosmogenic nuclides (Be-10, Al-26, and stable isotopes of He, Ne, and Ar). The relationships between the measured abundances of cosmogenic nuclides and cosmogenic Ne-22/Ne-21 ratio were compared with predictions of recent semiempirical models of Graf et al. (1990) and Reedy (1991), and it was found that both models closely reproduce the observed trends and absolute values of the data obtained. Noble gas data indicate that Chico experienced shielding similar to that of Jilin and greater than those of the Knyahinya or the Keyes chondrites. The exposure history for Chico is discussed.

Garrison, D. H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Iodine-xenon, chemical, and petrographic studies of Semarkona chondrules - Evidence for the timing of aqueous alteration

The relationship of the I-Xe system of the Semarkona meteorite to other measured properties is investigated via INAA, petrographic, and noble-gas analyses on 17 chondrules from the meteorite. A range of not less than 10 Ma in apparent I-Xe ages is observed. The three latest apparent ages fall in a cluster, suggesting the possibility of a common event. It is argued that the initial I-129/I-127 ratio (R0) is related to chondrule type and/or mineralogy, with nonporphyritic and pyroxene-rich chondrules showing evidence for lower R0s than porphyritic and olivine-rich chondrules. Chondrules with sulfides on or near the surface have lower R0s than other chondrules. The He-129/Xe-132 ratio in the trapped Xe component anticorrelates with R0, consistent with the evolution of a chronometer in a closed system or in multiple systems. It is concluded that the variations in R0 represent variations in ages, and that later events, possibly aqueous alteration, preferentially affected chondrules with nonporphyritic textures and/or sulfide-rich exteriors about 10 Ma after the formation of the chondrules.

Swindle, T. D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Composition of solar flare noble gases preserved in meteorite parent body regolith

Isotopic composition of solar-flare (SF) Ne was determined in acid-etched pyroxene mineral separates from the Kapoeta meteorite, a brecciated meteorite known to contain implanted solar gases. The results yield the SF Ne-20/Ne-22 ratio of 11.6 +/-0.2, confirming previous determinations of this SF ratio in lunar and meteoritic samples. The same SF Ne composition was also obtained by applying an ordinate intercept technique to the same data set. The ordinate intercept technique was then applied to the Ar and He data. The results are SF Ar-36/Ar-38 = 4.9 +/-0.1 and SF He-4/He-3 = 3800 +/-200. These values are significantly different from the solar-wind (SW) Ar and He values. It is estimated that the concentration of the SF component in Kapoeta pyroxenes is about 20 percent that of the SW component, orders of magnitude higher than expected from SW and SF proton flux measurements.

Rao, M. N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Ar-39-Ar-40 of achondrites: Evidence for a lunar-like cataclysm

The observation that the K-Ar, Pb-Pb, and Rb-Sr ages of a significant number of lunar highland rocks were reset in the interval of 4.1-3.8 Ga ago led to the concept of a cataclysmic bombardment of the moon during this period. An important consideration for understanding the early bombardment history of the solar system, including the moon, is whether evidence also exists in meteorites for resetting of radiometric ages by cataclysmic bombardment of their parent bodies. A comparison of Ar-39-Ar-40 ages of achondritic meteorites with ages of lunar highland rocks should help elucidate the nature of the early bombardment of the solar system. We are participating in various consortia studies of primarily Antarctic eucrites and howardites for which we measured Ar-39-Ar-40 ages of various clasts and matrix samples. The results of these studies are presented.

Bogard, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Cosmogenic Ar-36 from neutron capture by Cl-35 in the Chico L6 chondrite: Additional evidence for large shielding

The cosmic ray produced Ar-36/Ar-38 ratio measured in iron meteorites is about 0.65, but is not well determined for stone meteorites due to the common presence of trapped Ar or absorbed atmospheric Ar in bulk analysis. Almost all single-extraction measurements of stones give Ar-36/Ar-38 ratios intermediate between the trapped and air values of 5.3 and the expected cosmogenic value of about 0.65. The isotopic composition of Ar was measured for stepwise temperature release of both chondritic and melt portions of Chico. The Chico data suggest that for large chondrites, the cosmogenic Ar-36/Ar-38 ratio may well be higher than 0.65, and therefore the procedure of correcting bulk analysis results may underestimate the concentration of cosmogenic Ar-38. In this context we note that in analysis of many Antarctic chondrites observed that determined amounts of cosmogenic Ar-38 averaged about 13 percent too low in comparison to that expected from measurements of other cosmogenic species.

Garrison, D. H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

(Ar-39)-(Ar-40) dating of mesosiderites - Evidence for major parent body disruption less than 4 Ga ago

The (Ar-39) (Ar-40) chronologies were determined for 14 different mesosiderites representing the full range of classification according to recrystallization, and these chronologies were compared with analogous data for other meteorite types and for lunar highland rocks. Results of Ar-Ar chronologies indicate the history of a degassing of Ar due to a major thermal event that occurred less than 3.9 Ga ago; this event is not the metal-silicate mixing event, which is known to have occurred earlier than 4.4 Ga ago. It is suggested that a major collisional disruption-reassembly event less than 3.9 Ga ago took place, leaving the metal-silicate breccias buried under tens of kilometers of rubble, where they cooled slowly through the Ar closure temperatures.

Bogard, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Noble gases in the howardites Bholghati and Kapoeta

Analyses of noble gases in whole rock samples of the howardites Bholghati and Kapoeta and grain-size separates of Kapoeta yield evidence for excesses of the Xe isotopes Xe-129 , Xe-131, Xe-132, Xe-134, and Xe-136 in a low-temperture component, similar to lunar excess fission Xe. Such a component may be able to provide chronometric information if the relative abundances of radioactive progenitors (I-129, Pu-244, and U-238) can be determined, but the isotopic spectra obtained are not sufficiently precise to do so. Eucritic clast BH-5 in Bholghati contains Xe produced in situ by the decay of Pu-244. Calculated fission Xe retention ages are 30-70 Ma after the formation of the solar system, consistent with the apparent presence of Sm-146 decay products. Both the clast and the matrix of Bholghati have K-Ar ages of about 2 Ga, suggesting a common thermal event at least that recently.

Swindle, T. D.↗