Superheavy element fission hypothesis in carbonaceous chondrites

IN many meteorites, the abundances of the heavy isotopes of Xe are enriched relative to solar Xe. In some cases, this enrichment results from the addition of fission products from U and Pu. In some carbonaceous chondrites, however, the isotopic enrichment pattern of the heavy Xe is inconsistent with the measured Xe yield patterns of U, Pu, Cm, and Cf fission. The lack of correlation between heavy Xe enrichment and U concentration in separated mineral phases also argues that the Xe is not due to fission of an element whose chemical properties are similar to U. It has been suggested that this enrichment resulted from the decay of a superheavy element^1,2. An experimental test of this hypothesis is proposed here.