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Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx
Published on: December 20, 2016
Nitrogen in solar energetic particles: isotopically distinct from solar wind
K J Mathew1, J F Kerridge, K Marti
1Department of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, USA. mkattath@ucsd.edu
Abstract:
Stepwise etching of lunar soil ilmenite grains reveals that the 15N/14N ratio of implanted nitrogen decreases with increasing implantation depth within the ilmenite grains, i.e., with increasing energy of implantation. These results show that N derived from solar energetic particles, NSEP, is enriched in the light isotope, 14N, relative to solar-wind nitrogen, NSW. This is in striking contrast to the neon isotopic record: NeSEP is depleted in the light isotope, 20Ne, relative to NeSW. These data suggest either distinct signatures in the respective solar source regions, or fractionation in the acceleration mechanism(s). However, the observed opposite fractionation trends for light N and Ne isotopes do not agree with model predictions.
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