La138/139 Isotopic Data and Neutron Fluences for Oklo RZ10 Reactor

TL;DR

This paper explores how La138/139 isotopic data from the Oklo RZ10 reactor can be used to estimate neutron fluences or infer primordial lanthanum abundance, aiding studies of fundamental constants.

Contribution

It introduces a method to use La138/139 isotopic ratios as indicators of neutron fluence and primordial lanthanum levels in Oklo reactor analysis.

Findings

Neutron fluence can be deduced from La isotopic data with reliable primordial abundance.

La isotope ratios can provide information on primordial lanthanum abundance.

The method depends on accurate primordial elemental abundance data.

Abstract

Recent years have seen a renewed interest in the Oklo phenomenon, particularly in relation to the study of time variation of the fine structure constant. The neutron fluence is one of the crucial parameters for Oklo reactors. Several approaches to its determination were elaborated in the past. We consider whether it possible to use the present isotopic La138/139 data for RZ10 as an additional indicator of neutron fluences in the active cores of the reactors. We calculate the dependence of the Oklo La138 abundance on neutron fluence and elemental lanthanum concentration. The neutron fluence in RZ10 can be deduced from lanthanum isotopic data, but requires reliable data on the primordial elemental abundance. Conversely, if the fluence is known, the isotope ratio provides information on the primordial lanthanum abundance that is not otherwise easily determined.