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.•OURNAL
OFGaOrHYSlCAL
R•SrAaCH VOL. 70, No. 1 JANUARY1, 1965

Comparisonof CI-Ar and Ar9-Ar Cosmiclay

Exposure Ages of Dated Fall Iron Meteorites
O. A. SCHAEFFER

ChemistryDepartment,BrookhavenNational Laboratory,Upton, New York

and Max-Planck-Institut •iir Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
D. HEYMANN 1

ChemistryDepartment,BrookhavenNational Laboratory,Upton,New York

Abstract. The cosmic ray exposureages of six octahedrites and of the iron phase of one
mesosiderite have been measured. Five of these meteorites are dated falls. From the results
there is support for our previoussuggestionof two major collisionsin space,one between
600 and 700 million years ago, the other between300 and 400 million years ago. The cosmic
ray exposureage of the mesosideriteEstherville, 64 million years,is more typical of a stone
meteorite than of an octahedrite.It is found that the meteorite Norfolk is indeed a find, not
a fall as was suspected.

INTRODUCTIO1• erosionby the dust is relatively insignificantfor

objectsin the solar system.For a recent review
The principal ideas as to meteorite origin
of this subjectseeAnders [1963].
differ mainly in the number,properties,and di-
mensionsof the parent bodiesfrom which the It is possibleto obtain informationrelating
meteorites were formed. A common feature of to these processes by studyingthe cosmicray
all presentideasis that there was, sometimein produced nuclides in meteorites.While meteor-
the history of the solar system,a breakup of ites travel through space they are continuously
asteroidalor perhaps even moon or planetary bombarded by high energy particlesfrom cos-
sizedbodiesby a major collisionor a seriesof mic radiation. The nature of the productsand
collisions in the asteroidal belt. Such collisions the amount of a given product are determined
resultedfinally in a large number of relatively by the extent of the exposure.What is of im-
small objects. The fragments, meteorites, are portancehere is the period of time during which
still beingsweptup by the earth, the moon,and the examined sample was relatively close,
a few other planets.At the sametime, second- roughly lessthan a meter, to the surfaceof the
ary collisions•axnong the fragmentsreducethem object while the object was in space.If space
still further in size.The types of suchcollisions erosionis of minor consideration,we can define
betweenthe fragmentslie betweentwo extremes. an exposureage or the date of the last collision
from the measurement of a stable and a radio-
On the one hand are collisions in which the
fragmentsare shattered,and on the other hand active spallationproduct. On the other hand, if
in which a spaceerosionis controlling,we can obtain from
are relatively insignificantcollisions
such a measurement a limit of the rate of ero-
grain of dust strikesa larger objectand forms
a microscopiccrater. There exist various esti- sion. In general, publications have tended to
mates as to the extent of such processes,
vary- emphasizeone or another of these viewpoints.
ing from statementsthat all the dust in the For example,Whipple and Fireman [1959] cal-
solar systemcould result from such collisions culated erosion rates, whereas ¾ilcsek and
and that meteoritesare continuouslyerodedby W•inke [1962] calculated exposure ages from
collisions with dust to statements that space essentiallysimilar experimentalresults.
RADIOACTIVE [PRODUCTS
x Work performed while on leave of absence Chemical separationand purification. With
from F.O.M. Laboratory for Mass-Separation,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands; now at Enrico the exceptionof the Grant samples,which were
Fermi Institute, University of Chicago,Illinois. cuttings,solidpieceswere cut from larger me-
215
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216 SCI-IAEFFER AND I-IEYMANN
TO DIFFUSION
PUMP

CAPILLARY
TUBE

'
HELIUM
CYLINDER
Fig. 1. Meteorite dissolvingapparatus.

teorite specimens.The samples weighed be- a counter of small volume, and its activity was
tween40 and 100 grams.The meteoritesamples measured with a conventional low level count-
were washed,dried, weighed,and then placedin ing apparatus.
the reactionflask of the dissolvingapparatus The coolingjacket of the dissolvingapparatus
shownin Figure1. Carriersolutions werekept was rinsed with distilled water, and the rinse
in the separatoryfunnel while the entire ap- plus the meteorite solution was filtered. The
paratus and these solutions were flushed with ferrousiron was oxidizedto ferric with hydro-
helium to removeair. The sodiumhydroxide gen peroxide, and the excessperoxidewas de-
and charcoaltraps had been previouslyevacu- composedby prolongedboiling. Silver chloride
ated and flushed with helium. After the carrier was then precipitated with silver nitrate and was
solutionswere admittedto the reactionflask, collected on a glass filter. The silver chloride
the required amount of 2 M sulfuric acid was waspurifiedseveraltimesby dissolving in am-
placedin the separatoryfunnel and outgassed monia, filtering the ammoniacal solution, and
with helium. then reprecipitating the silver chloride with
The dissolution of the meteorite was started nitric acid. Finally the silver chloride was col-
by admitting acid to the reaction flask. The lected on a Whatman 42 filter paper disk of
evolvedgasesweresweptby heliumthroughthe 15-mm diameter, washed, dried, and weighed.
sodiumhydroxidetrap, the cold trap, and the The disk was placedin a low level •3 counter.
charcoaltraps. Argon was adsorbedat liquid Sampleswere then recycled.The silver chloride
nitrogentemperatureon the charcoal.An argon was reduced at 600øC in a hydrogen stream,
carrier was admitted to the line by the slow which carried the hydrogen chlorideinto dilute
diffusionof a meteredvolumeof an argonstand- ammonia where it was absorbed. From the re-
ard into the helium stream. Argon recovery sulting chloridesolution,silver chloridewas pre-
from the first charcoaltrap was 95% as deter- cipitated and a sample was prepared for count-
mined in a blank run. ing as before.
After the samplewas completelydissolved, In somecasesa meteorite samplewas melted
helium and hydrogen were removed from the in a vacuum line for a direct extraction of Ar '•9.
charcoalby prolongedpumping at liquid nitro- In such cases,as the argon 39 extraction is not
gen temperature, leaving argon and some air completefrom a melt, the entire alumina cruci-
on the trap. The remaining gases were then ble from the furnace was placed into the reac-
cleanedwith a hot titanium getter at 950øC. A tion flask and treated with 2 M sulfuric acid.
secondcleaningbeforethe countingof the argon The furnace of the extraction line was also
consistedof pumping the gas from charcoalat carefully washed with this acid and some hy-
dry ice temperature and then gettering with drofluoric acid. The combined solutions were
titanium. The purified argon was pumped into treated in the same way as describedbefore.
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COMPARISON OF CI•-Ar • and Ar•-Ar • AGES 217

per or steel. The filter paper sample disk was

attachedto the sampleholderwith cement,and
GAS LEAD
the silver chloridewas protectedby a thin film
of Duco cementapplied to all samplesin the
I.P.C. CONNECTOR sameway. The counterswere operated as pro-
GAS LEAD
portional flow countersinside a low level count-
ing shield.This consistedof a one-inchmercury
shield surroundedby a ring of guard counters
operated in anticoincidencewith the sample
counter,all of which was surroundedby twelve
inches of iron. The counters had background
counting rates ranging from 0.03 to 0.15 count
per minute. The eificiencyof the counterswas
S
determined by counting C1• standards of in-
creasingsilver chloride sample thickness.The
argon fractions were countedin gas countersof
• CUP small internal volume similar to the ones de-
scribedby Stoenneret al. [1960]. These counters
were operated as Geiger counters inside a
similar low level shield.The countingresultsare
presentedin Tables I and 2.
ALUMINIZED MYLAR WINDOW

STABLE ARGON MEASUREMENTS

Fig. 2. Low level end window • counter.
Samplepreparation. The preparationof the
The chlorine 36 activity found in the melted argon sample for mass-spectrometricanalysis
meteorite and in the furnace line were added to presentsmost of the diificulty in the measure-
that found by the wet chemistry. ment of the stable argon rather than the ac-
Chemicalyield of chlorineand argon carriers. curacy or sensitivity of the mass spectrometer
To avoid uncertaintiesin the chemicalyield of used for the measurement.The sensitivity of
chlorine and argon, we used isotopically en- detection is limited by atmosphericcontamina-
riched carriers of both elements. The C1 •7 tion; the accuracyis limited by uncertaintiesof
abundancein the C1 carrier was 70%, the Ar • possibleincompletereleaseand by partial ad-
abundance in the Ar carrier was 24%. Upon sorption of the argon. The most satisfactory
completion of the C1• counting, the silver method of eliminatingthesediificutiesis to have
chloride was first converted to ammonium the sampleextractionsystemconnecteddirectly
chloride,which in turn was convertedto methyl to the massspectrometertube. Suchan arrange-
chloride. Methyl chloride was separated from ment is shown schematicallyin Figure 3. The
other compoundson a gas chromatography glasstubing used, 2955 Supremax Schott and
column,and isotoperatios were measuredin a Gen.,Mainz, Germany (Corning1720Pyrex is an
mass spectrometer.As a check some of the equivalent glass), has a low helium diffusion
original cartier and terrestrial ammoniumchlo- constant of the order of 10' lessthan laboratory
ride were treated in the same way. No isotope Pyrexware.The entire systemcan be baked out
fractionations were observed. at 300-400øC down to the dashedline in Figure 3.
In the caseof the argoncartier, a small volume Becauseboth Ar • and Ar • are to be measured,
was metered from the argon gas before the gas it is not possibleto add an argonisotopeand use
was pumpedinto the counter.The isotopiccom- an isotopedilution technique.We must have a
positionof this small aliquot was measuredin procedure which quantitatively releasesthe
the same mass spectrometer. argonwith no absorptionlossduring purifica-
Counting techniques.The chlorine samples tion on the scaleof 10-' cc of total argon gas.
were countedin end window]• countersof the A convenientsystem of heating is induction
type shownin Figure 2. The counterbody and heating.The crucibleis easilyheatedto as high
sampleholderweremadefrom electrolyticcop- a temperatureas is desiredby a moderately
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218 SCHAEFFER AND HEYMANN

TABLE 1. C1s6Counting Data

Chemical Counting Background

Weight, Yield, Rate, Rate, Activity,
Meteorite g % cpm cpm dpm/kg

Aroos melt 45.9 76 0.355 4- 0.01 0.143 4- 0.006 16.1 4- 1.5

Recount 64 0.300 4- 0.006 0.145 4- 0.004 13.6 4- 1.5

Aroos diss. 46.5 84 0.146 4-0.006 0.039 -4-0.004 16.4 4- 1.6

Recount 36 0.128 4-0.003 0.042 4-0.003 17.2 4- 1.7

Estherville, iron phase 70.9 67 0.422 4- 0.012 0.086 4- 0.003 22.7 4- 2.2

Grant 1 100.0 55 0.459 4-0.01 0.155 4-0.005 13.7 4- 1.4

Recount 23 0.220 4- 0.004 0.091 4- 0.003 13.9 4- 1.4

Grant 2 100.0 57 0.299 4-0.009 0.097 4-0.007 10.0 4- 1.0

Recount 42 0.335 4-0.006 0.168 4-0.005 10.6 4- 1.1

Norfolk 78.7 79 0.5014- 0.015 0.088 4- 0.003 17.54- 2.0

Recount 20 0.223 4- 0.004 0.088 4- 0.003 21.4 4- 2.0

Norfork 47.3 63 0.266 4-0.006 0.085 4-0.003 14.7 4- 1.5

Sikhore Alin diss. 50.8 59 0.172 4- 0.004 0.091 4- 0.003 6.9 4- 1.5
Recount 42 0.077 4-0.006 0.042 4-0.005 5.3 4- 1.0

Sikhore Alin melt 42.0 32 0.073 4- 0.004 0.042 4- 0.003 7.5 4- 1.5
Recount 32 0.060 4-0.002 0.038 4-0.001 5.3 4- 1.5

Treysa 71.6
Crucible 93 0.260 4- 0.005 0.086 4- 0.003 8.7 4- 0.8
Furnace 42 0.132 4-0.003 0.024 4-0.001 11.6 4- 1.2

Treysa Total 20.3 4- 1.4

sized RF-generator (10-20 kw). This method
of outgassinga sample is open to the criticism
that, becauseof the high field potentialgradient,
ionization is likely and that the ions formed are
driven into the walls of the apparatus, resulting
in a lossof gas.To checkthis point, the release
of argon from the Carbo meteorite was studied
by meansof high voltageinductionheating,low
voltage inductionheating, and resistanceheating.
During the high voltage heating no precautions

TABLE 2. Ar s9Counting Data

Weight, Counting Rate, Background Rate, Activity,

Meteorite g cpm cpm dpm/kg

Aroos 46.5 0.766 4- 0.004 0.100 4- 0.004 16.8 4- 0.1

Estherville 70.9 1.029 4- 0.007* 0.037 4- 0.003* 22.1 4- 1.5'

Grant 100 0.147 4- 0.004 0.153 4- 0.004 -0.006 4- 0.004

Norfolk 78.7 0.012 4- 0.001 0.012 4- 0.001 0.0 4- 0.001

Norfork 47.3 0.260 4- 0.006 0.094 4- 0.003 14.4 4- 1.5

Sikhore Alin 50.8 0.388 q- 0.008 0.111 q- 0.003 5.7 4- 0.6

Treysa 71.6
Melt 0.729-½0.0i4 0.069q- 0.002 11.5 4- 0.3
Dissolved 0.600 q- 0.018 0.069 4- 0.002 11.0 4- 0.3
Total melt q- dissolved 22.5 4- 0.5

* These results were kindly supplied by R. Davis, Jr., Brookhaven National Laboratory.
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COMPARISON OF CI•-Ar• and Ar•-Ar• AGES 219
RESISTANCE FURNACE

SAMPLES
QUARTZ
ITAN IUM GRANULES

MOo-'
MOLYBDENU
c.uc,B,E :
o
CH.CO,
TO
MASS
SPECTROMETER
TUBE

ALUMINA •
CRUClBLE•.•.-•
I
R,F.COILf •
QUARTZf• TO
1720GLASS" VACUUM
BAKEABLE HIGH
WATEF VACUUM VALUES

3 LITER STANDARD STORAGE VOLUME

j O.
lOOcc
GAS
PIPETTE

Fig. 3. Extractionsystem
for massspectrometric
determination
of raregases.

were taken to minimizea discharge, and there crucible was then heated from 1600 ø to 1800øC
was appreciabledischarging in the gas during for 15-20 minutes. This time is sufficient to
the evaporation. The low voltagegenerator,on completelyevaporate0.1 to 0.2 gram of an iron
the otherhand,gaveno visibledischarge, and, meteoritereleasingthe rare gases.The titanium
asthe maximumvoltagewaslessthan 100volts, getter was held at 950øC during the evapora-
it is unlikely that any argon ions would be tion and for an additional 15 minutes to react
driven into the walls. The resistance furnace with all the hydrocarbonsand other gases
consisted
of a tungstenwire, 1.0 mm in diam- formed. The main contaminant seems to have
eter, spiral wound on an alumina crucible of beenmethane,probablyformedfrom the carbon.
about 1-cm diameter.The crucibleand spiral of the meteoriteand the ever presenthydrogen.
were kindly suppliedby I)r. P. Signerof the The titanium wasthen allowedto slowlycoolto
University of Minnesota for these tests. The room temperature.At 950øC titanium absorbed,
crucible was surroundedby two concentrio by chemicalaction,all the gasesexcepthydro-
molybdenumcylindersas heat shields.The re- gen and the rare gases.At 500øChydrogenwas
sults of these three runs for the extraction of
absorbed,so that when the titanium was below
helium, neon, and argon are listed in Table 3.300øC only the rare gasesremained. At this
As can be seen,all three methodsof heating point the gas was admitted to the mass spec-
give results within experimental errors. The trometer for isotopicanalysis.
errorslistedare the averagedeviationof two or The massspectrometersensitivitywas mea-
three individual results. sured after each sample determination by
In makinga measurement,
the meteorite adding a metered amount of natural abundance
sample was dropped into the crucible with a atmosphericargonfrom an all-metalgaspipette
magnet. The instrument sensitivity and back- to the samplegasin the massspectrometertube
groundlevelswere suchthat a few milligrams and by measuringthe increasein ion currents
of meteoritewere adequatefor analysis.To re- due to the known amount of added argon.
duce the errors due to sampleinhomogeneity Blanks were run in between sample runs to
(sulfide,carbide,or phosphideinclusionfor ex- make surethe samplehad beencompletelyout-
•;mple),we usedsamplesof 0.1 to 0.2 gram. As gassed.Almost all the blanks showed less than
many as twenty samples were stored in the 1% of the sampleimmediatelypreceding.For
line and dropped into the crucible in turn. The the one or two blanks for which this is not the
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220 SCHAEFFER AND HEYMANN

TABLE 3. Comparisonof Methods of Rare Gas Releasefrom Inside the Iron Meteorite Carbo
The errorlistedis an averagedeviationof duplicatemeasurements
and representsprecisionof a determina-
tion. The absoluteerror is conceivablytwice as great.

Rare Gas, 10-S cc STP/g

Method of Heating He 8 He 4 Ne •-• Ar SS

High voltage
RF generator 270 4- 10 1230 4- 50 3.08 4- 0.1 17.7 4- 0.4
Low voltage
RF generator 300 4- 10 1320 4- 30 3.33 4- 0.1 18.2 4- 0.2
Resistance heating 295 4- 10 1250 4- 50 3.05 4- 0.1 17.9 4- 0.4

case, a suitable correction was made. All the active spallation product permits the calcula-
stable argon measurementsreported here were tion of another age which is related to the ex-
made at the Max-Planck-Institut fiir Kern- posureof the meteorite to cosmicradiation. The
physik with a 60ø, 20-cm radius symmetrical usual assumptionsmade in such a calculation
sector type mass spectrometer under static are the following: (1) at sometime in the past
vacuum conditions.A secondaryelectronmulti- the meteorite was inside a larger object and
plier wasusedfor measurementof the ion beam. shieldedfrom cosmicradiation; (2) the parent
The results are listed in Table 4. For all body underwent a major collisionin spaceand
meteoritesexceptSikhoreAlin, the set of dupli- was broken up; and (3) from the time of col-
cate analysis agree within 10%, which is the lision until it was captured by the earth the
basis for the errors of the measurements. meteorite was in a relatively stable orbit, sub-
jected to a uniform cosmicray flux.
T• ExrosvR• A•s As the evidencefrom potassium-argon,lead-
The cosmicray exposureages calculatedon
the basis of the CI•-Ar 36 values and the Ar •- TABLE 4. Ar 8sand Ar • Contents of
Ar• valuesare given in Table 5. The C136-Ar • Iron Meteorites
age is basedon 82% of the Ar• resultingfrom
the decay of C1• and 18% resulting directly Sample Ar 3s, Ar s6, Correction
from spallationof iron and nickel.• The Ar•% Weight, 10-s cc 10-s cc to Ar•, *
Meteorite g STP/g STP/g %
Ar• exposureage is basedon a productionrate
Ar•/Ar • of 0.52, which is basedon unpublished
Aroos 0.0894 38.4 24.1 10
spallationresults,assumingthe meteorite is 8% 0.1404 41.9 26.4 2
nickel. As can be seen, the agreementbetween
the Ar•-Ar • ages and the Ci•-Ar • ages sub- Estherville, 0.2592 4.99 3.20 15
iron phase 0.2630 5.30 3.36 11
stantiate the previous result on constancyof
cosmicrays in time. Grant 0.1390 29.0 18.9 3
0.1326 27.1 16.5 3

I)ISCUSSIOl•I Norfolk 0.2395 38.0 24.4 0.5

Whereas the gas retention agesof meteorites Norfork 0.1266 34.3 21.9 1.5
are related to the time when the meteorites had 0.1587 38.6 23.8 0.5

cooledsufficientlyto retain radiogenicAr•øand Sikhore Alin 0.1926 6.88 4.18 4

He', the measurementof a stable and radio- 0.1400 7.60 4.50 45

Treysa 0.1711 31.8 20.8 2

0.1116 30.4 19.1 I
'These values are obtained from Ar•/Ar 3• pro-
duction ratio of 4.1 [$chae•er and Ziihringer, 1959]
and Ar•/C1 • productionratio of 0.95, [Heymann * Correction was made assuming all Ar •ø to be
and $chae•er, 1962]. atmospheric.
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COMPARISON OF Cl•-Ar • and ArSg-Ar• AGES 221

TABLE 5. Cosmic Ray Exposure Ages

Exposure Age,
Year 106 Years
of Ar 86, Ar •, C136, Ar 89,
Meteorite Fall 10-s ccNTP/g 10-s ccNTP/g dpm/kg dpm/kg C186-Ar86 Ar89-Ar 8s

Aroos 1959 25 4- 1 40 4-2 17 4-2 16.8 4-0.1 680 4- 70 650 4- 40

Estherville,
iron phase 1879 3.3 4-0.2 5.2 4-0.3 23 4-2 22.1 4- 1.5' 64 4- 7 62 4- 4

Grant find 18 4- I 28 4- 1 12 4-2 _•0.04 640 4- 100

Norfolk find 24 4- 1 38 4-2 20 4-2 _•0.003 600 4- 60

Norfork 1918 23 4- 1 36 4-2 15 4-2 14.4 4- 1.5 700 4- 100 690 4- 70

Sikhore Alin 1947 4.4 4- 0.2 7.3 4- 0.4 6.3 4- 1.5 5.7 4- 0.6 310 4- 70 340 4- 40

Treysa 1916 20 4- 1 31 4- 2 20 4- 2 22.5 4- 0.5 430 4- 40 370 4- 30

* Ar 8• determined by R. Davis, Jr., Brookhaven National Laboratory.

•ead,andrhenium-osmium
ages
ofstone
aswell
as of iron meteorites indicates that the parent
bodies of the meteorites were present in the
solar system at least 4.6 billion years ago, the
observed exposure ages of iron meteorites are
related to two quantities. The first quantity is
the mean lifetime for collisionsof the parent
bodies,resultingin the productionof fresh, un-
shieldedmaterial. The secondquantity is the
mean lifetime for capture of suchfragmentsby
the earth. It has been suggestedthat the space
between the orbits of the earth and Jupiter re-
semblesa ball mill in which interplanetary mat-
ter, hencemeteorites,is continuouslybroken up
through collisions,while at the sametime matter
is lost from this processby planetary capture,
by escapefrom the solar system,or by capture
by the sun.
Several calculations have been made of the
mean lifetime for collisions of bodies in the
asteroidalbelt [Piotrowsky,1953; Opik, 1961].
A result of such calculationsis that a typical
collision time for an average minor planet
which would lead to its breakup is of the order
of l0 g years.Accordingto (Jpik'sestimatesand
more recent calculations [Arnold, 1963], the
mean lifetime of bodies in the asteroidal belt
for captureby oneof the majorplanetscouldbe
of the order of 100 million years.
If the above-mentionedcollisionprocesshad
reached a stationary state in which approxi-
mately equal amounts of matter were being
crushedand removed per unit time, we would
expect most meteoritesarriving on earth during
the last 10• years to be debris from collisions
during the last billion years, the debris from
earlier collisionshaving been swept up by the
major planets a long time ago. We would also
expect that the meteorite exposureages would
follow a smooth distribution. The distribution
of exposure ages would also show a marked
fine structure if there had been a few catastro-
phic collisionsin the more recent past which
produced a larger than average amount of
meteoritic debris. In other words, many me-
teorite ages might group around a relatively
small number of valuesrepresentinga relatively
small number of 'large body' collisions.
The assumptionthat the cosmicray intensity
did not vary with time can be checked by
measuring radioactive isotopesof widely vary-
ing half-lives in one meteorite. Results of such
a comparisonfor C1• and Ar 8g[Heymann and
Schae#er, 1962] showed that the intensity
changedless than 10% during the last million
years. On the other hand, measurementsof
K•-K • ages of iron meteorites [Voshage and
Hintenberger,1962a], when comparedwith the
correspondingCI•-Ar TMages, suggestthat the
averagecosmicray intensity during the last few
million years was roughly 1.5 times higher than
the averageduring the last billion years. If this
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222 SCHAEFFER AND HEYMANN

were the case, our C18•-Ar • ages are too low; meteorite is among the highest observed, so
however, a grouping of ages would still exist. that it is likely that the exposureagedetermined
The Cl•-Ar • ages presentedin Table 5 are in for Norfolk is not too far from the true value.
agreementwith the K•ø-K• agesfor the meteor- As the Be•ø,A1•, and C186in Grant are similar
ites Grant, Norfolk, and Norfolk [Voshageand to the valuesin the dated fall meteoriteAroos,
Hess, 1964], so that alternative explanationsfor it is unlikely that Grant fell much over 100,000
discordant Ci•-Ar • and K•ø-K• ages must be years ago.
examined. Of the sevenC18•-Ar• agesgiven in Table 5,
If the meteorite while in orbit is being eroded four are 640 million years, within the experi-
by collisionswith dust, then the exposureages mental uncertainty of about 10%. Also, the
presentedin Table 5 are too low. The C18•that Ar•-AF 8 agesof two of thesemeteoritesagree
was measured representsan average of cosmic with the Ci•-Ar s• ages.These facts suggestthat
ray intensity over the last 106 years when the there was a major collisionin spaceat this time
sample was less shielded,whereas the stable and that the four meteorites are fragments
Ar•ø representsan average over the entire ex- from the event. We pointed out previously
posure time. If the iron meteorites had been [Heymann and Schae#er, 1961] that the ex-
in similar orbits, we would expect the effect of posure ages of three of these meteorites are
spaceerosionto be very much identical for those very closeto 580 million years. We suggestedat
meteorites,so that under suchconditionsa few that time that this was due to a major col-
major collisionswould still lead to a grouping lision in space approximately 600 million years
of exposureages. Space erosion could explain ago. Since then we have measureda few more
discordantCi*•-Ar36ages.It is difficult, however, meteorites and improved the accuracy of the
to understand why space erosion would have preliminary results. The conclusionwe reached
been almost insignificant for Grant, Norfolk, earlier is substantiated;however,the collision
and Norfork and at the same time have been time is about 10% greater. In addition,several
efficient for Treysa and Aroos. It is for this other investigatorshave reported similar find-
reasonthat we have interpreted our results as ings for exposure ages of iron meteorites
exposureagesrather than erosionrates. [Signer and Nier, 1962; Vilcsek and W•inke,
Ci*•-Ar 3• measurements Williamstown and 1961, 1962; ¾oshageand Hess, 1964, and
Carbo have given exposureages of 2.2 and 1.2 Voshageand Hintenberger, 1962b]. It must be
billion years, respectively [Sprenkel ei al., borne in mind, however, that the number of
1959]. Subsequentto thesemeasurementsothers measurementsis small, and such a conclusion
[Honda ei al., 1961] have determinedthe A1• may be only a statistical fluctuation. For ex-
and Be•øactivitiesin the meteoritesAroos,Wil- ample,the resultsof Vilcsekand W•inke [1961,
liamstown,and Grant. They also confirmedthe 1962] would suggesta collisionabout 500 mil-
previous C1*• value for Williamstown. Whereas lion years ago.
A1• and Be •ø values are similar for the three Comparing the Cl•-Ar • and Ar•-Ar •8 ex-
meteorites,the C1s6value for Williamstown, 3.3 posureagesof SikhoreAlin and Treysa,there
dpm/kg, is about a factor of 4-5 lower than our seemsto be evidence,though less conclusive,
C1• values for Aroos or Grant. On this basis it for another such collision between 300 and 400
seemslikely, as I-Ionda et al pointed out, that million years ago.
Williamstown was captured by the earth more The iron phase of Estherville, a dated fall
than 500,000 years ago. As a result, we would mesosiderite,shows a much shorter exposure
estimate that the C1• content of Williamstown age than the octahedrites.Its age, 64 million
at the time of fall was 4-5 times higher than at years, is more typical of a stonemeteorite than
presentand its exposureagecorrespondingly 4-5 of an octahedrite.This may suggestthat the
times lower. Because of such uncertainties in the event that producedEstherville couldbe related
residencetime of iron meteorites on earth, we to a breakup that producedthe chondrites.Al-
have tried to select a number of dated fall ternatively, this meteorite is an exampleof a
meteorites. The Norfolk meteorite, which is case in which the perturbations of its orbit
listed as a possiblefall, has no detectable by the major planets resultedin a shorter life-
so that it is definitely a find..The C1• in this time than that of the octahedrites.

COMPARISON OF CI•-Ar • and Ar•-Ar • AGES
In conclusion,our results (1) support the
estimates that the mean lifetime of meteorites
against capture by the earth is shorter than the
estimated lifetime of 10• years for major col-
lision leading to the breakup of larger parent
bodies; and (2) support our previous sug-
gestion [Heymann and Schae#er, 1961] that
there was a major collisionin the solar system
some 600 to 700 million years ago.
APPENDIX
I)ESCRIPTION OF METEORITES AND SOURCE OF
SA•rLES USED
Aroos. Coarsest octahedrite. A mass of 500
kg fell in the USSR in November 1959. Our meteorites,Geochim.Cosmochim.Acta, 22, 133,
sample was donated by Dr. E. L. Krinov of 1961.
the Academyof Sciencesof the USSR, Moscow. Opik, E. $., Collisionprobabilitieswith the planets
Estherville. Mesosiderite. Several large mas-
ses of total weight over 320 kg fell in 1879 in
Iowa.Oursample
wasdonated
byDr. P. Gast
of the University of Minnesota.
Grant. Fine octahedrite. A mass of 480 kg
was found in New Mexico in 1929. Our sample
was donated by Dr. E. P. I{enderson of the
U.S. National Museum, Washington,D.C.
Norfolk. Medium octahedrite.A massof 23
kg was said to have fallen in Virginia in 1907.
The fall has been in doubt and the meteorite
should now be classifiedas a final. Our sample
wasdonatedby Dr. Brian Masonof the Museum
of Natural I{istory, New York.
Nor[ork. Medium octahedrite.A mass of 1
kg fell in Arkansasin 1918. Our samplewas pur-
chasedfrom I{. I{. Nininger.
Sikhore Alin. Granular hexahedrite or coar-
sest octahedrite. A large mass fell in 1947 in
Eastern Siberia,USSR. Our samplewas donated
by Dr. E. L. Krinov of the Academy of
Sciencesof the USSR, Moscow.
Treysa. Medium octahedrite. A mass of
about 63 kg fell in 1916 in Germany. Our
sample was donated by Prof. Walcher of the
University of Marburg, Germany.
Acknowledgments. One of us (Schaeffer) would
like to thank the Max-Planck Society for support
during his stay in Heidelberg and to thank his
colleaguesthere for their hospitality and scientific
discussions,especially Professor W. Genther and
Dr. J. Z•ihringer.
This work was supported by the U.S. Atomic
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223
Energy Commission and by the Deutsche For-
schungsgemeinschaft.
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