Engineering topics

Murrell, M. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Murrell, M. T..

8 records

NASA NTRS1987

Actinide chemistry in Allende Ca-Al-rich inclusions

Fission track radiography is used to investigate the U and Th microscale distribution in a set of Allende-meteorite Ca-Al-rich inclusions. In the Type B inclusions, the major phases melilite and fassaite are important actinide host phases, and on the rims of Type B inclusions and throughout all other inclusions studied, perovskite is the dominant actinide host phase. Results suggest that neither alteration nor loss or gain of an actinide-rich phase appears to have been an important Th/U fractionation mechanism, and that volatility differences may be the dominant factor. Th/U and rare earth element abundance patterns for the spinel and perovskite rim suggest rim formation by volatilization of interior material, and within the constraints of the brief time scale required for this heating, several mechanisms for spinel-perovskite rim formation are possible.

Murrell, M. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Partitioning of K, U, and Th between sulfide and silicate liquids - Implications for radioactive heating of planetary cores

Experimental partitioning studies are reported of K, U, and Th between silicate and FeFeS liquids designed to test the proposal that actinide partitioning into sulfide liquids is more important then K partitioning in the radioactive heating of planetary cores. For a basaltic liquid at 1450 C and 1.5 GPa, U partitioning into FeFeS liquids is five times greater than K partitioning. A typical value for the liquid partition coefficient for U from a granitic silicate liquid at one atmosphere at 1150 C and low fO2 is about 0.02; the coefficient for Th is similar. At low fO2 and higher temperature, experiments with basaltic liquids produce strong Ca and U partitioning into the sulfide liquid with U coefficient greater than one. The Th coefficient is less strongly affected.

Murrell, M. T.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Mn-53 profiles in four Apollo surface cores

Mn-53 data are presented for four Apollo cores with an emphasis on the past 10-to-the-7th-year history of these samples: (1) Core 15011 has excess Mn-53 down to a depth of at least 9 cm, which is probably due to the continuous addition of near-surface irradiated material. (2) The Mn-53 profile for 64002 above 12 cm is relatively flat and in excess of that calculated for a static core, which suggests that the upper part of this core was deposited rapidly about 2 m.y. ago. (3) Results for the Apollo 17 drill stem show a large excess of Mn-53 from at least 3 cm downwards. Some magnetic separates obtained from this core have very high Mn-53 activities, probably due to the presence of agglutinates that were recently irradiated very near the surface. (4) The Mn-53 content of the upper part of 74002 is similar to that of trench samples collected nearby and indicates that the gray, orange, and black soils at this site have been exposed together near the surface for at least the last 10 m.y.

Nishiizumi, K.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Cosmic-ray-produced Cl-36 and Mn-53 in Allan Hills-77 meteorites

Cosmic-ray-produced Mn-53 has been determined by neutron activation in nine Allan Hills-77 meteorites. Additionally, Cl-36 has been measured in seven of these objects using tandem accelerator mass spectrometry. These results, along with C-14 and Al-26 concentrations determined elsewhere, yield terrestrial ages ranging from 10,000 to 700,000 years. Weathering was not found to result in Mn-53 loss.

Nishiizumi, K.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Deep-sea spherules from Pacific clay - Mass distribution and influx rate

From 411 kg of Pacific clay, 22 mg of stony spherules and 50 mg of iron spherules larger than 150 microns were concentrated. The extraterrestrial origin of these particles was evaluated with the aid of optical and electron microscopy and atomic absorption elemental analysis. An expression for the integral number of stony particles from this sediment in the mass range 20-300 micrograms was derived. The world-wide influx rate of stony particles in the mass range which survive atmospheric heating and ocean sediment storage is calculated to be 90 tons/yr. The relative contributions of ablation debris vs fused interplanetary dust to the influx of stony spherules is discussed, but no conclusions could be made.

Murrell, M. T.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Half-life of Si-32 from tandem-accelerator mass spectrometry

A newly developed mass-spectrometry technique employing a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator together with a special beam-transport system and heavy-ion detector has been used to determine the half-life of Si-32. The result obtained, 108 plus or minus 18 yr, disagrees with the accepted value of 330 plus or minus 40 yr. The implications of the new half-life of Si-32, which is used for dating studies, are discussed.

Elmore, D.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The extent of lunar regolith mixing

The activity of solar cosmic-ray-produced Mn-53 measured as a function of depth in the upper 100 g/sq cm of lunar cores 60009-60010 and 12025-12028 is discussed. Analyses of samples from the Apollo 15 and 16 drill stems together with authors' previously published results (1974, 1976), and the Battelle Na-22 and Al-26 data, indicate that in three of the four cases studied the regolith was measurably disturbed within the last 10 m.y. Activities measured in the uppermost 2 g/sq cm indicate frequent mixing within this depth range. The Monte Carlo gardening model of Arnold (1975) was used to derive profiles for the gardened moon-wide average of Mn-53 and Al-26 as a function of depth. The Mn-53 and Al-26 experimental results agreed with theoretical predictions, but the calculated depths of disturbance appeared too low.

Nishiizumi, K.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Evidence for the constancy of the solar cosmic ray flux over the past ten million years - Mn-53 and Al-26 measurements

Mn-53 and Al-26 activities have been measured in fourteen samples carefully ground from the upper 1.5 cm of rock 68815 to discern whether the magnitude and shape of the solar cosmic ray (SCR) flux in the last 2 m.y. has differed from the recent SCR flux and that averaged over the last 10 m.y. Results yield no evidence that the SCR flux has varied among these time intervals. Assuming the appropriate erosion rates, the measured profiles of rock 68815 (with a 2 m.y. surface exposure) and of rocks 12002 and 14321 (saturated with respect to Mn-53 and Al-26) can all be fit with the SCR parameters of R sub zero = 100 MV and J = 70 protons/sq cm/sec (4 pi, energy greater than 10 MeV). The measured profiles of 68815 and 14310 are incompatible with the short surface exposure age (less than 3 m.y.) proposed for 14310 on the basis of track studies. Activity vs. depth profiles for three different faces of 68815, show surface activities nearly independent of sample inclination.

Kohl, C. P.↗