Cosmogenic Radionuclide Production Rates in Argon in the Stratosphere

Abstract

SPALLATION reactions of cosmic-rays with atmospheric argon produce radionuclides with half-lives ranging from seconds to millions of years. Radionuclides resulting from these reactions in the atmosphere that have been observed to date include ¹⁰Be (2.7 × 10⁶ yr), ³⁶Cl (3.1 × 10⁵ yr), ¹⁴C (5,568 yr), ³²Si (∼ 700 yr), ³H (12.3 yr), ²²Na (2.6 yr), ³⁵S (88 days), ⁷Be (53 days), ³³P (25 days), ³²P (14.3 days), ²⁸Mg (21.3 h), ²⁴Na (15 h), ³⁸S (2.9 h), ³¹Si (2.62 h), ³⁹Cl (55 min), ³⁸Cl (37 min), ^34mCl (32 min).