Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Mass spectrometric measurements of plutonium isolated from Precambrian bastnasite confirm the presence of 244Pu in nature. Although the existence of 244Pu as an extinct radioactivity has been postulated to explain the xenon isotope ratios observed in meteorites, this is the first indication of its present existence in nature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alexander, E. C., Lewis, R. S., Reynolds, J. H., and Michel, M. C., Science, 172, 837 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kuroda, P. K., Nature, 187, 36 (1960).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fields, P. R., Friedman, A. M., Milsted, J., Lerner, J., Stevens, C. M., Metta, D., and Sabine, W. K., Nature, 212, 131 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bemis, C. E., Halperin, J., and Eby, R., J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 31, 599 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lovering, J. F., and Morgan, J. W., J. Geophys. Res., 69, 1979 (1964).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Collected Radiochemical Procedures (edit. by Kleinberg, J.), Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Report LA-1721, third ed., 94c (1967).

  7. McHugh, J. A., Intern. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Phys., 3, 267 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. White, F. A., Rourke, F. M., and Sheffield, J. C., Appl. Spectroscopy, 12, 46 (1958).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hance, A. B., and Hanrahan, L. R., KAPL-3122, AEC Research and Development Report (1966).

  10. Schmitt, R. A., Smith, R. H., Lasch, J. E., Mosen, A. W., Olehy, G. A., and Vasilevskis, J., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 27, 577 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Podosek, F. A., Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 8, 183 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Fleischer, R. L., Price, P. B., and Walker, R. M., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 32, 21 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Price, P. B., Fowler, P. H., Kidd, J. M., Kobetich, E. J., Fleischer, R. L., and Nichols, G. E., Phys. Rev., D3, 815 (1971).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico

    D. C. HOFFMAN & F. O. LAWRENCE

  2. General Electric Company, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Schenectady, New York

    J. L. MEWHERTER & F. M. ROURKE

Authors
  1. D. C. HOFFMAN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. O. LAWRENCE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. L. MEWHERTER
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F. M. ROURKE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HOFFMAN, D., LAWRENCE, F., MEWHERTER, J. et al. Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature. Nature 234, 132–134 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/234132a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/234132a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation