Abstract
In January 1998, the public release of the data collected by the Galileo space probe’s mass spectrometer on its descent into Jupiter’s atmosphere allowed scientists a glance at the composition of the giant planet (Goldin, 1998). Most importantly, the spectrometer took a direct measurement of the isotopic composition of a planet previously untouched since the birth of the solar system. One of the most studied and debated elements, xenon, provided a good point of focus both because of the controversy surrounding it and because of its place in a high-mass, low-contamination region of the spectrum. A full analysis of the isotopes of xenon and contamination showed the presence of isotopically “strange” xenon like that found in carbonaceous chondrites. Interestingly, the nebular model (Wood, 1999) for making the solar system does not explain these anomalies.
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© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Windler, K. (2002). Strange Xenon Isotope Ratios in Jupiter. In: Manuel, O. (eds) Origin of Elements in the Solar System. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-46927-8_38
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-46927-8_38
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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