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Primordial radionuclide

Primordial radionuclides existed before the earth was created. They were present in the interstellar dust from which the solar system evolved , and were formed by nucleosynthesis in supernovae. Because the age of the earth is 4.58×109 y, the half-life of primordial nuclides must be greater than about 108 y. The name is derived from the Latin word primordium, meaning "origin".

The following table shows some examples of primordial radionuclides. See also natural decay chains.

nuclide T½ (year) abundance (atomic%)
40K 1.29×109 0.0118
87Rb 4.7×1010 27.8
115In 6×1014 95.7
123Te 1.24×1013 0.87
138La 1.3×1011 0.09
144Nd 2.1×1015 23.9
147Sm 1.06×1011 15.0
148Sm 7×1015 11.2
152Gd 1.1×1011 0.2
174Hf 2.0×1014 0.18
186Os 2×1015 1.6
190Pt 6.1×1011 0.013
204Pb 1.2×1017 1.4

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Last modified:08 April 2024 09.57 a.m.
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