Low Concentration of Tritium in Iron Meteorites

Abstract

A SERIOUS geochemical problem that is not yet solved is the quantity of tritium found in iron meteoritos. Although all other isotopes produced by cosmic rays in both iron and stone meteorites are in close agreement with expected values estimated by cross-sect ion measurements using large accelerators1, tritium is either absent or at least an order of magnitude less than expected in iron meteorites (for example, ref. 2, and the references listed in that article). The tritium content of stone meteorites is not abnormal.