Intercalibration of international and domestic ~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating standards

40Ar/39Ar method is a high precision dating means, of which the age is obtained by contrasting the un- known sample with those of standards. Usually the age of standard is determined by K-Ar method in which the 38Ar spike should be added for measurement. However, the absolute concentration of 38Ar spike is measured through the calibrated standards in turn, al- though occasionally the concentration of 38Ar spike is determined by other dating methods, such as Rb-Sr, U-Pb methods, which is kn…

Intercalibration of international and domestic 40Ar/39Ar dating standards

Four international standards, Ga1550, MMhb-1, Lp-6, Bern 4M, and one domestic standard BT-1 have been intercalibrated. The repeated measurements on MMhb-1 with different mass demonstrate that MMhb-1 is inhomogeneous in age and its average age is 519.8 Ma. The results of Bern 4M and Lp-6 reflect that they have an invariable value of 40Ar*/39Ark (F) and the ages we obtained are consensus with their K-Ar age: Lp-6=127.7Ma; Bern 4M=18.2 Ma. Analyses of BT-1 age spectra, Ca/K and Cl/K spectra as well as inverse isochrons indicate that the sample is homogeneous and invariable and keeps close chemically, with its trapped argon isotope composition close to the atmosphere. The dating results show that age values are reproducible and steady, total fusion age, step-heating age, plateau age and isochron age are in accord with each other within the error range (2σ). Therefore, we recommend 28.7 Ma as the calibrated age of BT-1.We also discuss the variation in neutron flux gradients of Beijing 49-2 reactor. It was found that the neutron flux gradient varies considerably, and more monitors (standard samples) are needed to fix the trend of variation. The coefficient of the 49-2 reactor that transfers the ratio of production rate of 37ArCa/39ArK into Ca/K ratio is 1.78. This is different from that reported earlier, 2.0, which may be caused by the reconstruction of the reactor.