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187Re–187Os systematics in meteorites: early chronology of the Solar System and age of the Galaxy

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Abstract

Using isotope dilution mass spectrometry, we have determined the 187Re/186Os, 187Os/186Os ratios of five iron meteorites of various groups, and one ordinary chondrite. These results show that iron meteorites and ordinary chondrites were formed within a short time. We determine the 187Re decay constant as 1.62 ± 0.0310−11 yr−1 and the 187Os/186Os isotopic ratio at the origin of the Solar System as 0.805 ± 0.011. These values are used to compute limits for the age of the Galaxy between 13,300 and 22,400 Myr.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Géochimie et Cosmochimie LA 196, Institut de Physique du Globe et Département des Sciences de la Terre, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris VI et VII, 4 Place Jussieu, 75230, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    Jean-Marc Luck, Jean-Louis Birck & Claude-Jean Allegre

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  1. Jean-Marc Luck
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  2. Jean-Louis Birck
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  3. Claude-Jean Allegre
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Luck, JM., Birck, JL. & Allegre, CJ. 187Re–187Os systematics in meteorites: early chronology of the Solar System and age of the Galaxy. Nature 283, 256–259 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283256a0

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