Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Niederer, F. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Niederer, F. R..

Absolute isotopic abundances of Ti in meteorites

A general formalism is presented for determining possible isotope compositions of exotic Ti, and illustrated with results from Ti isotope abundances measured in Ca-Al-rich inclusions of the Allende and Leoville meteorites and samples of other meteorites. Previously identified correlations between Ti-50 and Ca-48 in FUN (isotope fractionation effects and unknown nucleosynthetic effects) inclusions is shown to hold true, thereby supporting contributions from a neutron-rich equilibrium or nucleosynthetic equilibrium during formation of the meteorites. Extension of the study to carbonaceous meteorites indicated that condensation, volatilization and recondensation occurred during formation, although the isotope fractionation observed cannot yet be explained.

Niederer, F. R.↗

Ca isotopes in refractory inclusions

The present absolute isotope abundance measurements of Ca in Ca-Al-rich inclusions from the Allende and Leoville meteorites show the extreme rarity of nonlinear isotope effects in Ca, in sharp contrast to the endemic effects in Ti. The Ca in the Ca-Al-rich inclusions shows mass-dependent isotope fractionation effects whose range is a factor of 20 wider than the range previously established for bulk meteorites and for terrestrial and lunar samples. A correlation is found between Ca and Mg isotope fractionation effects and inclusion type, and a possible correlation between isotope fractionation and rare earth element abundance patterns is discussed.

Niederer, F. R.↗

Endemic isotopic anomalies in titanium

Abundances of the titanium isotopes were determined using a new high-precision technique that shows terrestrial, lunar, and bulk meteorite samples to be indistinguishable. Ca-Al-Ti-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite are found to contain Ti of widely varying isotopic composition reflecting the presence of at least three nucleosynthetic components. The anomalies in Ti appear to be relatively widespread and, when correlated with Ca data, provide a clue to nucleosynthesis in the neighborhood of the iron peak and to the late-stage nucleosynthetic processes which immediately preceded formation of the solar nebula.

Niederer, F. R.↗