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4He diffusion in specular hematite

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Abstract

In order to test the chronometer qualities of speculante for the (U + Th)/He dating method, 4He release experiments by stepwise heating of two specularites from the Rimbach mineralization locality in the southern Vosgues (France) have been carried out. The diffusion coefficients define linear Arrhenius plots within a temperature interval of 250 to 830 °C, which is suggestive of volume diffusion. Extrapolation of the diffusion behavior to 20° C yields diffusion coefficients (D20 values) smaller than 10−26 [cm2 s−1] for both hematites with activation energies at 116 [kJ/mole]. The results of our study suggest that specularite is a very helium retentive hematite variety which is capable of quantitatively retaining radiogenic helium over geologic periods of time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorium für Geochronologie, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, Universität Heidelberg, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Hans J. Lippolt, Rolf S. Wernicke & Werner Boschmann

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  1. Hans J. Lippolt
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  2. Rolf S. Wernicke
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  3. Werner Boschmann
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Now at Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS)mbH, Schwertnergasse 1, D-50667 Köln, Germany

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Lippolt, H.J., Wernicke, R.S. & Boschmann, W. 4He diffusion in specular hematite. Phys Chem Minerals 20, 415–418 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00203111

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