| Cosmogenic Isotope |
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Information AboutCosmogenic Isotope |
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APPLICATIONS Because cosmogenic isotopes have long Half-lives (anywhere from thousands to millions of years), scientists find them useful for geologic Dating . Cosmogenic isotopes are produced at or near the surface of the Earth, and thus are commonly applied to problems of measuring ages and rates of Geomorphic and Sediment ary events and processes. Specific applications of cosmogenic isotopes include:
METHODS OF MEASUREMENT To measure cosmogenic isotopes produced within solid earth materials, such as rock, samples are generally first put through a process of mechanical separation. The sample is crushed and desirable material, such as a particular mineral ( Quartz in the case of Be-10), is separated from non-desirable material by using a density separation in a heavy liquid media such as LST ( Lithium Sodium Tungstate ). The sample is then dissolved, a common isotope carrier added (Be-9 carrier in the case of Be-10), and the aqueous solution is purified down to an oxide or other pure solid. Finally, the ratio of the rare cosmogenic isotope to the common isotope is measured using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry . The original concentration of cosmogenic isotope in the sample is then calculated using the measured isotopic ratio, the mass of the sample, and the mass of carrier added to the sample. REFERENCES
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