Abstract
Calcium-41 has been suggested as a new tool for radiometric dating in the range of 105 to 106 years. The concentration of cosmogenic calcium-41 in natural samples of terrestrial origin has now been determined by high-sensitivity accelerator mass spectrometry after pre-enrichment in calcium-41 with an isotope separator. Ratios of calcium-41 to total calcium between 2 x 10-14 and 3 x 10-15 were measured for samples of contemporary bovine bone and from limestone deposits. Some prospects for the use of calcium-41 for dating Middle and Late Pleistocene bone and for other geophysical applications are discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 725-727 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Science |
Volume | 236 |
Issue number | 4802 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1987 |