Sm147Nd144

Sm147Nd144 refers to a specific isotopic relationship involving samarium-147 and neodymium-144. Samarium-147 (147Sm) is a naturally occurring, radioactive isotope of samarium. It is an alpha emitter with a very long half-life, approximately 1.06 x 10^11 years. Neodymium-144 (144Nd) is a stable isotope of neodymium.

The significance of Sm147Nd144 lies in the fact that samarium-147 decays into neodymium-144. This decay process is a key component in samarium-neodymium dating, a radiometric dating technique used to determine the age of rocks and meteorites. In this method, the ratio of 147Sm to its stable decay product, 143Nd, is measured. Since 143Nd is also produced by the decay of 147Sm, and other samarium isotopes also decay to neodymium isotopes, careful analysis of the isotopic ratios of neodymium, particularly 143Nd and 144Nd, allows scientists to calculate the time elapsed since the mineral in question formed. The 144Nd isotope is often used as a reference point or normalization factor in these calculations due to its stability and abundance. This dating method is particularly useful for ancient terrestrial rocks and extraterrestrial samples.