The mass of the white dwarf in the recurrent nova U Scorpii

We present spectroscopy of the eclipsing recurrent nova U Sco. The radial velocity semi-amplitude of the primary star was found to be     from the motion of the wings of the He  ii λ 4686-Å emission line. By detecting weak absorption features from the secondary star, we find its radial velocity semi-amplitude to be     . From these parameters, we obtain a mass of     for the white dwarf primary star and a mass of     for the secondary star. The radius of the secondary is calculated to be     , confirming that it is evolved. The inclination of the system is calculated to be     , consistent with the deep eclipse seen in the light-curves. The helium emission lines are double-peaked, with the blueshifted regions of the disc being eclipsed prior to the redshifted regions, clearly indicating the presence of an accretion disc. The high mass of the white dwarf is consistent with the thermonuclear runaway model of recurrent nova outbursts, and confirms that U Sco is the best Type Ia supernova progenitor currently known. We predict that U Sco is likely to explode within ∼700 000 yr.     

Shear-wave polarizations on a curved wavefront at an isotropic free surface

Summary. We present polarization diagrams of the particle motions at the free surface of an isotropic half-space generated by incident shear waves from a local buried point source. The reflectivity technique is used to calculate synthetic seismograms from which the particle motions are plotted. The particle motions are examined over a range of epicentral distances in a uniform isotropic half-space for different source frequencies and polarization angles, and for different Poisson's ratios. The particle motions due to a curved wavefront possess different characteristics from those generated by plane wavefronts at corresponding incidence angles. A curved wavefront generates a local SP -phase: a P -headwave which propagates along the free surface, and arrives shortly before the direct S -wave. These two arrivals give rise to cruciform particle motions in the sagittal and horizontal planes, which could be misinterpreted as anisotropy-induced shear-wave splitting. An examination of the particle motion in the transverse plane, mutually orthogonal to the sagittal and horizontal planes, can be used to discriminate between isotropic and anisotropic interpretations. The amplitude of the SP -phase is enhanced when it propagates in a low-velocity surface layer overlying the source layer, and may then become the dominant phase on radial-component seismograms. The presence of even a single surface layer may introduce considerable complexity into the seismogram, and we examine the effects of layer thickness, velocity contrast, and source depth on the corresponding polarization diagrams. Reliable information on the source and propagation path characteristics of shear waves from a buried local point source can only be obtained from free-surface records if they are recorded within a very limited epicentral distance range.     

Hawaiian basalt and Icelandic rhyolite: Indicators of differentiation and partial melting

In spite of the voluminous basaltic volcanism on the island of Hawaii, rhyolite is not produced. Iceland, on the other hand, exhibits common rhyolitic volcanism amounting to some 10–12% of its surface rocks. This contrast is investigated using the fundamental igneous processes exhibited by sheet-like Hawaiian lava lakes and Shonkin Sag laccolith in Montana. Highly differentiated, residual melts normally reside within inwardly advancing solidification fronts and are generally inaccessible to eruptive processes. Only when a large initial phenocryst population is present, from which a thick basal cumulate can rapidly form, is it possible to supply highly differentiated melt into the active (i.e., eruptable) portion of the magma chamber. Although there is protracted control of differentiation at Hawaii by settling of olivine, further differentiation occurs within the solidification fronts. Only by repeated transport and holding is it possible to differentiate beyond the critical composition of the leading edge of the solidification front ( 7% MgO and 51.5% SiO₂). Crystal size distributions (CSDs) for Hawaii and Shonkin Sag are used to demonstrate the inferred physical and chemical processes of solidification, including the kinetics of crystallization.A ubiquitous feature of these basaltic bodies is the formation of coarse veins and segregations of refined melt and granophyres within the upper solidification front. It is this fundamental bimodal feature which is the key to understanding Icelandic silicic volcanism.Rhyolites in Iceland occur mainly as a bimodal population with basalts associated with central volcanoes. Rhyolites, granophyres, and felsites are common, with the intrusions often being layered. Ash flows and true granite-like intrusions are rare. The voluminous silicic lavas at Torfajokull central volcano contain disequilibrium phenocryst assemblages. This, and the disagreement in oxygen isotopic values between rhyolites and basalts, reflects extensive partial melting of the heterogeneous basaltic crust of Iceland to produce these rhyolites. Relatively small, chemically distinct, and spatially intimate silicic bodies are formed by concentrating granophyric segregations from earlier cycles of solidification. This process is also reflected in the layered granophyric instrusion of Slaufrudalur in eastern Iceland. Slaufrudalur is an unvented subterranean caldera, equivalent in igneous processes and style to the subaerial Torfajokull caldera.Hawaii is dominated by fractional crystallization due to crystal settling and does not produce rhyolite. Iceland's tectonics allow continual and extensive reprocessing of thin, hot basaltic crust which produces rhyolite by concentrating original silicic segregations and veins and by partially melting intermediate extrusives, which have subsided deep into the crust.

---

Zusammenfassung Auf Hawaii treten, trotz intensiven Basalt-Vulkanismusses, keine Rhyolithe auf. Auf Island dagegen ist Rhyolith, mit 10–12% des anstehenden Gesteins, verbreitet. Dieser Kontrast wurde anhand grundlegender magmatischer Prozesse untersucht, wie sie in flachen Lava-Seen Hawaiis und im Shonkin Sag Laccolith Montanas auftreten. Hochdifferenzierte Restschmelzen verbleiben innerhalb langsam nach innen vorrückender Erstarrungsfronten und sind meist unerreichbar für eruptive Prozesse. Nur wenn anfänglich bereits große Mengen von Einsprenglingen vorhanden sind, die rasch am Boden der Magmenkammer akkumulieren, kann eine hochdifferenzierte Schmelze in den aktiven (d.h. eruptiven) Teil der Magmenkammer gelangen. Obwohl auf Hawaii die Differentiation durch die Kristallisation von Olivin anhaltend kontrolliert wird, findet an der Erstarrungsfront weitere Differentiation statt. Nur durch wiederholten Transport und zeitweiliges Verharren ist es möglich, über die kritische Zusammensetzung der vordersten Erstarrungsfront hinaus zu differenzieren (ca. 7% MgO und 51,5% SiO₂). An Kristallgrö-ßenverteilungen (CDS) von Hawaii und Shonkin Sag können die angenommenen physikalischen und chemischen Prozesse der Kristallisation und die Kristallisationskinetik gezeigt werden. Ein weit verbreitetes Merkmal dieser Basaltkörper ist die Bildung grobkristalliner Gänge und Absonderung von stark differenzierten Schmelzen und Granophyren innerhalb der oberen Erstarrungsfront. Diese ausgeprägt bimodale Charakteristik ist der Schlüssel zum Verständnis des sauren isländischen Vulkanismus.Isländische Rhyolithe treten meist in bimodaler Verbreitung mit Basalten in Zusammenhang mit zentralen Vulkanen auf. Rhyolithe, Granophyre und Feisite sind häufig, in oft geschichteten Intrusionen. Ignimbrite und echte Granitintrusionen sind selten. Die großen Mengen SiO₂-reicher Laven am Torfajokull-Zentralvulkan enthalten Ein-sprenglinge, die sich nicht im Gleichgewicht mit der Matrix befinden. Dies, und die unterschiedlichen delta-¹⁸O-Werte von Rhyolithen und Basalten, zeigen, daß ausgeprägtes teilweises Aufschmelzen der heterogenen Basaltkruste von Island zur Produktion dieser Rhyolithe führte. Relativ kleine, nahe benachbarte saure Körper, die aber deutliche Unterschiede in ihrem Chemismus aufweisen, werden gebildet durch die Konzentration granophyrischer Teilschmelzen aus früheren Kristallisationszyklen. Dieser Vorgang wird auch widergespiegelt in der »layered intrusions« von Slaufrudalur in Ostisland. Slaufrudalur ist eine geschlossene unterirdische Kaldera, deren magmatische Prozesse und Baustil der subaerischen Torfajokull-Kaldera entsprechen.Die Prozesse in Hawaii sind dominiert von gravitativer Kristallisationsdifferentiation und es werden keine Rhyolithe produziert. Die isländische Tektonik führt zu kontinuierlicher starker Wiederaufarbeitung von dünner, heißer basaltischer Kruste. Dabei wird, durch die Konzentration ursprünglicher saurer Teilschmelzen und Gänge und durch die teilweise Aufschmelzung intermediärer Intrusiva, die tief in die Kruste abgesunken sind, Rhyolith produziert.

---

Résumé En dépit du volcanisme basaltique volumineux des îles Hawaï, il n'y existe pas de rhyolite. En Islande, par contre, le volcanisme rhyolitique est commun et représente 10 à 12% des roches de la surface. Ce contraste est examiné sur la base des processus ignés fondamentaux présentés par les lacs de lave d'Hawaï et le laccolite de Shonkin Sag au Montana. Normalement, les liquides résiduels hautement différenciés résident à l'intérieur des fronts de solidification qui progressent vers l'arrière et sont généralement à l'abri des processus éruptifs. Ce n'est que dans le cas d'une population initiale abondante de phénocristaux, qui se rassemblent dans un cumulat basai épais, que des liquides hautement différenciés peuvent être fournis à la portion active (c'est-à-dire »éruptible«) de la chambre magmatique. A Hawaï, bien que la différenciation soit continuellement régie par la cristallisation d'olivine, la poursuite du processus a lieu à l'intérieur des fronts de solidification. Ce n'est que par la répétition d'actions de transport et de stagnation qu'il est possible de différencier audelà de la composition critique du front de solidification (±7% MgO et 51,5% SiO₂). A partir de la distribution de la taille des cristaux à Hawaï et à Shonkin Sag, on peut déduire les processus physique et chimique de la solidification, y compris la cinétique de la cristallisation.Une particularité courante de ces corps basaltiques est la formation de veines grenues et de ségrégations de liquides très différenciés et de granophyres à l'intérieur du front supérieur de solidification. Cette manifestation bimodale est la clé qui permet de comprendre le volcanisme siliceux islandais.En Islande, les rhyolites constituent d'ordinaire une population bimodale avec les basaltes centraux. Les rhyolites, les granophyres et les felsites sont fréquents, et souvent sous forme d'intrusions litées. Les coulées ardentes et les vraies intrusions de type granitique sont rares. Les volumineuses laves siliceuses du volcan central de Torfajokull contiennent des assemblages de phénocristaux en déséquilibre. Ce fait, ainsi que la non concordance des isotopes de l'oxygène entre rhyolites et basaltes, traduisent, à l'origine de ces rhyolites, une fusion partielle extensive de la croûte basaltique hétérogène d'Islande. Des corps siliceux relativement petits et chimiquement distincts bien que d'emplacements très voisins se sont formés par concentration de fusions partielles granophyriques lors des premiers cycles de solidification. Ce processus s'exprime également dans l'intrusion granophyrique litée de Slaufrudalur, en Islande orientale. Slaufrudalur est une caldeira souterraine fermée, équivalente par son style et son processus igné à la caldeira subaérienne de Torfajokull.A Hawaï, le phénomène dominant est la cristallisation fractionnée gravitative, sans production de rhyolite. La tectonique de l'Islande permet la régénération continue et extensive d'une mince croûte basaltique chaude. Les rhyolites y sont engendrées par la concentration des veines et ségrégations siliceuses originelles et par la fusion partielle de masses extrusives intermédiaires descendues profondément dans la croûte.

---

, . , 10–12% . , Shonkin Sag Laccolith Montanas. . , , . , . . ( 7% MgO 51,5% SiO₂). (CDS) Shonkin Sag , , . . . . , , . . , Torfajokull , ., ¹⁸O , . , , , , « » («layered intrusions») Slaufrudalur, . , , Torfajokull. . . , , , .

     

Decomposition of Hudson estuary macrophytes: Photosynthetic pigment transformations and decay constants

Plant pigment decay constants were determined for four macrophytes collected from the Hudson Estuary.Typha angustifolia andScirpus fluviatilis were used as representatives of emergent aquatic vegetation (EAV), andPotamogeton sp. andVallisneria americana were used to represent submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). Litter bags were maintained in an environmental chamber in the dark for 104 d. The fastest rate of total mass loss was in the SAVV. americana and slowest in the EAVT. angustifolia. Changes in carotenoid and chloropigment concentration resulting from microbial and meiofaunal heterotrophy in each of the macrophytes were quantified using reverse-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) techniques. Chlorophyllc and the carotenoid, fucoxanthin, provided useful biomarkers in determining the presence of epiphytic diatom growth, which only occurred on the SAV. The highest concentrations of phaeophorbidea, commonly used as an indication of metazoan grazing, were found in the SAVV. americana. Low concentrations of phaeophorbidea in the SAVPotamogeton sp. indicate inefficient use of this SAV by meiofaunal grazers. Lutein decayed slower than all other carotenoids in both EAV and SAV. Microcosm studies such as this are necessary to further understand the mechanisms and kinetics of photosynthetic pigment transformations in natural systems.     

Supercritical gas sorption on moist coals

The effect of moisture on the CO₂ and CH₄ sorption capacity of three bituminous coals from Australia and China was investigated at 55 °C and at pressures up to 20 MPa. A gravimetric apparatus was used to measure the gas adsorption isotherms of coal with moisture contents ranging from 0 to about 8%. A modified Dubinin–Radushkevich (DR) adsorption model was found to fit the experimental data under all conditions. Moisture adsorption isotherms of these coals were measured at 21 °C. The Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB) model was capable of accurately representing the moisture isotherms over the full range of relative pressures.Moist coal had a significantly lower maximum sorption capacity for both CO₂ and CH₄ than dry coal. However, the extent to which the capacity was reduced was dependent upon the rank of the coal. Higher rank coals were less affected by the presence of moisture than low rank coals. All coals exhibited a certain moisture content beyond which further moisture did not affect the sorption capacity. This limiting moisture content was dependent on the rank of the coal and the sorbate gas and, for these coals, corresponded approximately to the equilibrium moisture content that would be attained by exposing the coal to about 40–80% relative humidity. The experimental results indicate that the loss of sorption capacity by the coal in the presence of water can be simply explained by volumetric displacement of the CO₂ and CH₄ by the water. Below the limiting moisture content, the CO₂ sorption capacity reduced by about 7.3 kg t^− 1 for each 1% increase in moisture. For CH₄, sorption capacity was reduced by about 1.8 kg t^− 1 for each 1% increase in moisture.The heat of sorption calculated from the DR model decreased slightly on addition of moisture. One explanation is that water is preferentially attracted to high energy adsorption sites (that have high energy by virtue of their electrostatic nature), expelling CO₂ and CH₄ molecules.     

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs are an unusual and intriguing group of extinct aquatic reptiles ( Fig. 1 ). They are sauropterygians, a group known from an array of semi‐aquatic forms during the Triassic period: placodonts, pachypleurosaurs and nothosaurs. The first plesiosaurs are known from the very latest Triassic, but by the Early Jurassic plesiosaurs were cosmopolitan in distribution and lasted successfully to the latest Cretaceous, when they became victims of the K‐T extinction event. Plesiosaurs were predominantly marine organisms, although their fossils are not uncommon in brackish or even fresh water deposits. We know that all plesiosaurs were carnivorous; many of them were top predators in their respective ecosystems. But with no living descendants (or analogues) plesiosaurs are mysterious fossil organisms—as we will see, many questions regarding their biology remain unanswered or contentious. However, plesiosaurs are currently undergoing renewed scientific attention.

Figure 1 Open in figure viewer PowerPoint The beautifully preserved skeleton of the plesiosaur Rhomaleosaurus victor seen in ventral view, from the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) of Holzmaden, Germany (total length 3.44 m). Redrawn from Fraas (1910).     

Helium isotopes in ferromanganese crusts from the central Pacific Ocean

Helium isotopes have been measured in samples of two ferromanganese crusts (VA13/2 and CD29-2) from the central Pacific Ocean. With the exception of the deepest part of crust CD29-2 the data can be explained by a mixture of implanted solar- and galactic cosmic ray-produced (GCR) He, in extraterrestrial grains, and radiogenic He in wind-borne continental dust grains. ⁴He concentrations are invariant and require retention of less than 12% of the in situ He produced since crust formation. Loss has occurred by recoil and diffusion. High ⁴He in CD29-2 samples older than 42 Ma are correlated with phosphatization and can be explained by retention of up to 12% of the in situ-produced ⁴He. ³He/⁴He of VA13/2 samples varies from 18.5 to 1852 R_a due almost entirely to variation in the extraterrestrial He contribution. The highest ³He/⁴He is comparable to the highest values measured in interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and micrometeorites (MMs). Helium concentrations are orders of magnitude lower than in oceanic sediments reflecting the low trapping efficiency for in-falling terrestrial and extraterrestrial grains of Fe-Mn crusts. The extraterrestrial ³He concentration of the crusts rules out whole, undegassed 4-40 μm diameter IDPs as the host. Instead it requires that the extraterrestrial He inventory is carried by numerous particles with significantly lower He concentrations, and occasional high concentration GCR-He-bearing particles.