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Radioactive Heating

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Radioactive heating refers to the energy dissipated in the interiors of planets, satellites, or asteroids as a consequence of the radioactive decay of radioactive isotopes (see radiochemistry). Radioactive isotopes are characterized by their decay energies and their half-lives. The radioactive isotopes of importance on the timescale of a billion years are the so-called long-lived isotopes uranium 238U, 235U, thorium 232Th, and potassium 40K. Short-lived isotopes may have heated the planets in their early evolutions. The most effective short-lived isotope is 26Al, because of its abundance and decay energy. The concentrations of these elements differ between planets depending on their formation and chemical evolution. Partial melting and differentiation is a mechanism for redistributing radioactive isotopes between crust and mantle reservoirs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Tilman Spohn

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  1. Tilman Spohn
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Correspondence to Tilman Spohn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Spohn, T. (2014). Radioactive Heating. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1340-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1340-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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