The temperature range of melting of crystalline material

The first-order phase transition is accompanied by an increase in disordering. Defects and dislocations of the crystal cell decrease the temperature of the phase transition. Atoms located on the crystal surface get higher internal free energy first. Atoms located in different areas of the crystal have different numbers of saturated bonds. The lower the number of such bonds, the lower the temperature of the atom transition into the melt. The process of melting of two fractions (with sizes of 2 nm–0.1 mm and 1.5–2 mm) plagioclase, alkali feldspar, and quartz was studied at temperatures of 950, 1000, 1100, and 1200°C. Surface melting of all mineral fragments occurred at a temperature of 950°C.

     

Phases of the Fe–C–N system as hosts of mantle carbon and nitrogen: Experimental studies at 7.8 GPa and 1350°C

Parts of the Fe–C–N system were studied in experiments at 7.8 GPa and 1350°C. It was shown that the admixture of nitrogen extends considerably the domain of melt stability in the system at temperatures close to the Fe–Fe₃C eutectic temperatures. Nitrogen solubility in cementite in equilibrium with the nitrogen- rich melt is below the detection limit of the EMPA technique applied. The metal melt is the only nitrogen concentrator (up to 4 wt % of N) in the range of compositions considered. The data obtained permit the conclusion that, in the case of complete dissolution of carbon and nitrogen, which might occur in the enriched mantle, native iron at ~250 km depth should either be completely molten or consist of a melt and carbide of iron.     

Gas kinematics in high-mass star-forming regions from the Perseus spiral arm

We present results of a survey of 14 star-forming regions from the Perseus spiral armin CS (2–1) and ¹³CO (1–0) lines with the Onsala Space Observatory 20 m telescope. Maps of 10 sources in both lines are obtained. For the remaining sources a map in just one line or a single-point spectrum is obtained. On the basis of newly obtained and published observational data we consider the relation between velocities of the “quasi-thermal” CS (2–1) line and 6.7 GHz methanol maser line in 24 high-mass star-forming regions in the Perseus arm. We show that, surprisingly, velocity ranges of 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission are predominantly red-shifted with respect to corresponding CS (2–1) line velocity ranges in the Perseus arm. We suggest that the predominance of the “red-shifted masers” in the Perseus arm could be related to the alignment of gas flows caused by the large-scalemotions in the Galaxy. Large-scale galactic shock related to the spiral structure is supposed to affect the local kinematics of the star-forming regions. Part of the Perseus arm, between galactic longitudes from 85° to 124° , does not contain blue-shifted masers at all. Radial velocities of the sources are the greatest in this particular part of the arm, so the velocity difference is clearly pronounced. ¹³CO (1–0) and CS (2–1) velocity maps of G183.35-0.58 show gas velocity difference between the center and the periphery of the molecular clump up to 1.2 km s^?1. Similar situation is likely to occur in G85.40-0.00. This can correspond to the case when the large-scale shock wave entrains the outer parts of a molecular clump in motion while the dense central clump is less affected by the shock.     

Krypton and Xenon Radionuclides Monitoring in the Northwest Region of Russia

Monitoring of Xe and Kr radionuclides was conducted from August 2006 to 30 July 2008 within the framework of ISTC Project #2133. Cherepovets City in Vologda Province and St. Petersburg were chosen as monitoring locations. Kr–Xe concentrate samples were obtained as a result of processing of several thousand m³ of atmospheric air. New results of ⁸⁵Kr monitoring show, that for last 15 years, the ⁸⁵Kr volumetric activity in the atmospheric air of the northwest region of Russia has increased approximately 50% and has achieved a level of 1.5 Bq/m³. This value correlates well with similar data for Western Europe and Japan. The xenon fraction (80–160 cm³ under STP) is adsorbed on charcoal in the ampoule, which is measured in the well of HPGe gamma detector. Minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of ¹³³Xe for this technique is 0.008 mBq/m³, and it is the most sensitive method used today. The ¹³³Xe concentration in the atmospheric air of Cherepovets City varied in the monitoring period ranging from 0.09 to 2.5 mBq/m³. During the period of March 2007–30 July 2008, ¹³³Xe activity concentration in the atmospheric air of St. Petersburg changed from background values (0.2–0.3 mBq/m³) to 185 mBq/m³ and for approximately 20% of the samples ¹³⁵Xe was also measured with the ¹³⁵Xe/¹³³Xe activity ratio varied within the range of 0.03–3.5.     

Dynamics of interaction between fields of seismicity and surface deformations (Bishkek geodynamic test area)

The spatial-temporal dynamics of surface crustal movements revealed from GPS data is compared with seismicity in the Bishkek geodynamic test area documented in the regional KNET catalog. The geological information system (GIS) GeoTaim 2.0 is substantially improved, which allowed variations in seismicity and deformation fields to be analyzed in the 3D raster. It is shown that seismicity and surface deformations are correlative in the test area. The periods with extreme values of contraction and the extension rates of the Earth’s surface areas are accompanied by enhanced seismicity and strong earthquakes. The increase in the spatial gradient of surface crustal movements coincides with changes in the azimuths of compression axes indicated by mechanisms of earthquakes that occurred at depths of up to 25 km. For a better geological—geophysical interpretation of interactions between deformation and seismicity fields in the Bishkek geodynamic test area, the spatial system GPS stations and measurement frequency need substantial improvement.     

Initiation of unstable slips–microearthquakes by elastic impulses

A series of laboratory experiments have been carried out with a model of two granite blocks under biaxial compression loading. The experiments are mainly intended for assessing the possibilities of partially releasing the accumulated potential energy. The model was subjected to calibrated mechanical impacts (strokes) which induced elastic impulses. The mechanical stresses, strains, and acoustic emission were recorded. The strokes caused both large slips releasing the stresses down to their initial level and small slips which reduced the stresses by 5–8%. The small slips mostly occurred after the precursory emergence of the low frequency oscillations having low amplitudes. Before the large slips, the stages of speeding-up of the relative motion of the sides of the block contact was observed, similar to those emerging before the natural slips unrelated to the strokes. This feature was not universal: in some cases, the model recovered to the stationary state of the block contact without a large slip. All the slips occurred with a time delay after the stroke. The time delay was shorter when the energy of the blow was higher. With the shorter time delays, the small slip is more likely to occur. The energy of the impacts was by three orders of magnitude lower than the energy accumulated by the model, which points to the triggering mechanism of slip initiation. The series of strokes resulting in the small displacements partially reduced the accumulated energy and prevented the emergence of large motions such as the stick-slip events. If after a series of such blows a large sliding event still occurred, its energy was higher than in the slips unrelated to the impacts. The experiments revealed the difficulties in solving the problem of earthquake hazard reduction by elastic impacts.     

Pyrope–knorringite garnets: overview of experimental data and natural parageneses

This paper gives an analytical overview of the experimental data obtained by different authors at high P and T in the model system MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–Cr₂O₃ (MASCr). A set of four simple polynomial equations is proposed for the temperature and pressure dependence of chromium content in garnet and spinel in the assemblage Gar + Opx + Es and Gar + Fo + Opx + Sp.From the first equation, one can estimate the minimum pressure at a given temperature which is required for the formation of peridotite garnets of uncertain paragenesis with a known knorringite content. A combination of the second and third equations helps estimate P and T from the chromium content of garnet and spinel from assemblages containing both minerals. If the spinel composition is unknown, but there is reason to assign garnet to a spinel-bearing paragenesis, the fourth equation is applicable for estimating pressure at given temperature.Originally, the proposed garnet–spinel geothermobarometer was developed for a harzburgite paragenesis. However, it is applicable to garnets with CaO/Cr₂O₃ < 0.903 (including lherzolitic ones), that is, those within the Pyr–Kn–Uv triangle of the reciprocal quaternary diagram Pyr–Cros–Uv–Kn.Using the above equations and an empirical P_CG geobarometer (Grütter et al., 2006), comparative geothermobarometric estimates were obtained for a set of garnet and garnet–spinel inclusions in diamonds and intergrowths with diamond, as well as garnet inclusions in spinel. If garnet has CaO/Cr₂O₃ = 0.35–0.40, the results are in good accord. For Cr-richest and Ca-poorest garnets, the P_CG barometer shows pressures 10–15% higher compared with our estimates.     

Chemodynamical evolution of gas near an expanding HII region

A self-consistent model for the chemical-dynamical evolution of a region of ionized hydrogen around a massive young star and of the surrounding molecular gas is presented. The model includes all main chemical and physical processes, namely the photoionization of atomic hydrogen, photodissociation of molecular hydrogen and other molecules, and the evaporation of molecules from the mantles of dust particles. Heating and cooling processes are taken into account in the temperature calculations, including cooling in molecular and atomic lines. The hydrodynamical equations were solved using the Zeus2D hydrodynamical software package. This model is used to analyze the expansion of a region of ionized hydrogen around massive stars (effective temperature of 30 000 and 40 000 K) in a medium with various initial density distributions. The competition between evaporation from dust mantles and the photodissociation of molecules results in the formation of a transition layer between the hot HII region and cool quiescent medium, characterized by high abundances of molecules in the gas phase. The thickness of the transition layer is different for different molecules. Since there is a velocity gradient along the transition layer, and the maxima in the distributions of different molecules are at different distances from the star, observations of molecular emission lines should reveal distinction in shifts of lines of different molecules relative to the velocity of the quiescent gas. Such shifts have indeed been detected during molecular observations of the region of ionized hydrogen Sh2-235. For an initial gas density of 10³ cm^?3, the increase in the abundances of H₂O and H₂CO in the transition layer after desorption from dust occurs gradually rather than in a jump-like fashion; therefore, the concept of a “evaporation front” can be used only formally. In addition, the distances between the evaporation fronts for different molecules are significant. At higher initial gas densities (10⁴ cm^?3), sharp evaporation fronts are formed for the different molecules, which are close to each other and to the shock front. In this case, it is possible to speak of a single evaporation front for CO, H₂O, and H₂CO.