New Measurement of the {sup 60}Fe Half-Life

We have made a new determination of the half-life of the radioactive isotope {sup 60}Fe using high precision measurements of the number of {sup 60}Fe atoms and their activity in a sample containing over 10{sup 15} {sup 60}Fe atoms. Our new value for the half-life of {sup 60}Fe is (2.62+-0.04)x10{sup 6} yr, significantly above the previously reported value of (1.49+-0.27)x10{sup 6} yr. Our new measurement for the lifetime of {sup 60}Fe has significant implications for interpretations of galactic nucleosynthesis, for determinations of formation time scales of solids in the early Solar System, and for the interpretation of live {sup 60}Fe measurements from supernova-ejecta deposits on Earth.