Abstract
A KNOWLEDGE of the relative abundances of the alkali metals observed in twilight should shed light on the problem of their origin. Lytle and Hunten1 were unable to detect potassium, and set a limit of at least 30 on the ratio sodium/potassium., favouring an origin from sea-water. Our recent measurement2 of 8,000 for the ratio sodium/lithium falls between the values for meteorites and sea-water, suggesting that the lithium, at least, comes primarily from the former. Junge, Oldenberg and Wasson3 have discussed the meteoric and marine hypothesis, and concluded that the former is much more probable. We have now been able to measure the abundance of potassium and find that the ratio sodium/potassium agrees almost exactly with the value in sea-water.
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References
Lytle, E. A., and Hunten, D. M., J. Atm. Terr. Phys., 16, 236 (1959).
Sullivan, H. M., and Hunten, D. M., Nature, 193, 1064 (1962).
Junge, C. E., Oldenberg, O., and Wasson, J. T., J. Geophys. Res., 67, 1027 (1962).
Marmo, F. F., Pressman, J., and Aschenbrand, L. M., Planet. Space Sci., 1, 291 (1959).
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SULLIVAN, H., HUNTEN, D. Relative Abundance of Lithium, Sodium and Potassium in the Upper Atmosphere. Nature 195, 589–590 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/195589a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/195589a0
