A rapid cosmic-ray increase in BC 3372–3371 from ancient buried tree rings in China

F. Y. Wang; H. Yu; Y. C. Zou; Z. G. Dai; K. S. Cheng

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01698-8

Nature Communications (Nov 2017)

A rapid cosmic-ray increase in BC 3372–3371 from ancient buried tree rings in China

F. Y. Wang,
H. Yu,
Y. C. Zou,
Z. G. Dai,
K. S. Cheng

Affiliations

F. Y. Wang: School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University
H. Yu: School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University
Y. C. Zou: School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Z. G. Dai: School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University
K. S. Cheng: Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01698-8
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 5

Abstract

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14C can be absorbed by trees as a result of the interaction of cosmic rays produced by high-energy phenomena with the Earth’s atmosphere. Here, the authors observe a rapid increase of 14C in an ancient buried tree from BC 3372 to BC 3371, and suggest that it could originate from a large solar proton event.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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