Ra-partitioning between phlogopite and silicate melt and 226Ra/Ba–230Th/Ba isochrons

In this study we experimentally determine phlogopite/melt partition coefficients of Ra and other trace elements in a lamproitic system. This work was achieved using an analytical technique (LA-ICP-MS) with low detection limits (~ 0.01 fg) permitting the measurement of the very low Ra concentrations feasible in experiments (~ 1 ppb). DRaphlogopite/melt was determined to 2.28 ± 0.44 and 2.84 ± 0.47 in two experiments, the ratio DRa/DBa is around 1.6. The compatibility of Ra in phlogopite results from an ionic radius being close to the apex of the lattice strain parabola for earth alkalis in the large XII-coordinated interlayer site of phlogopite. A re-evaluation of DRa and DRa/DBa for magmatic minerals containing appreciable Ra, yields DRamineral/melt ranging from ~ 2.6 for phlogopite down to 2–3 
•  10− 5 for pyroxenes, and DRa/DBamineral/melt from ~ 4 for leucite to 2 
•  10− 2 for orthopyroxene. The influence of melt composition on DRa/DBa is less than 10%. All investigated minerals have different DRa/DBa, strongly fractionating Ra from Ba. Thus, for magmatic systems, (226Ra)/Ba in the various minerals is not constant, these minerals do not form a straight line in the (226Ra)/Ba–(230Th)/Ba system at the time of crystallization and thus, there is no (226Ra)/Ba–(230Th)/Ba isochron at t0. 226Ra–230Th–Ba mineral dating is thus applicable only to model ages calculated from mineral–glass pairs with known DRa.