The C_{60} molecule exhibits a remarkable stability and inertness that leads
to its survival in ancient carbonaceous rocks initially subject to the high
temperatures requisite for its formation. Elementary particles having very high
electronic stopping powers can similarly form C_{60} and higher fullerenes in
their wake. Combined, these two features point at the possibility of using the
C_{60} presence (or absence) in selected bulk geological samples as a new type
of solid-state nuclear track detector, with applications in astro-particle
physics.Comment: Final version (few modifications). Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press). 4
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