Wa. Myers et Pk. Kuroda, PU-244 AND STRANGE XENON COMPONENTS IN THE SOLAR-SYSTEM, Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry, 195(2), 1995, pp. 335-342
A number of strange xenon components have been reported in the literat
ure during the past three decades; for example, AVCC (average carbonac
eous chondrite), CCF (carbonaceous chondrite fission) xenon, xenon-X x
enon-H, xenon-L, xenon-S, xenon-U, SUCOR (surface correlated xenon), B
EOC (Bern Oberflachen-Correliert) xenon, and so on. It is often assume
d that they represent the isotopic compositions of more or less 'pure'
or 'primordial' components of xenon. If one attempts to interpret the
existing xenon isotope data for meteorites and lunar samples, assumin
g that they are 'pure' or 'primordial', however, one encounters all so
rts of problems and no coherent theory concerning the variation of the
isotopic composition of xenon in the solar system emerges. We have th
erefore re-examined over 4,000 sets of existing xenon isotope data for
meteorites and lunar samples. The results indicate that these strange
xenon components are mixtures of Pu-244 fission xenon and atmospheric
xenon, whose isotopic compositions have been altered by the processes
of a) mass-fractionation, b) spallation and c) neutron-capture reacti
ons.