Mineralogy and geochemistry of platinum-group elements in the Aguablanca Ni-Cu deposit (SW Spain)

Summary The Aguablanca Ni-Cu-(PGE) magmatic sulphide deposit is associated with a magmatic breccia located in the northern part of the Aguablanca gabbro (SW, Iberia). Three types of ores are present: semi-massive, disseminated, and chalcopyrite-rich veined ore. The principal ore minerals are pyrrhotite, pentlandite and chalcopyrite. A relatively abundant platinum-group mineral (PGM) assemblage is present and includes merenskyite, melonite, michenerite, moncheite and sperrylite. Moreover, concentrations of base and precious metals and micro-PIXE analyses were obtained for the three ore-types. The mineralogy and the mantle-normalised chalcophile element profiles strongly suggest that semi-massive ore represents mss crystallisation, whereas the disseminated ore represents an unfractionated sulphide liquid and the chalcopyrite-rich veined ore a Cu-rich sulphide liquid. Palladium-bearing minerals occur commonly enclosed within sulphides, indicating a magmatic origin rather than hydrothermal. The occurrences and the composition of these minerals suggest that Pd was initially dissolved in the sulphides and subsequently exsolved at low temperatures to form bismutotellurides. Negative Pt and Au anomalies in the mantle-normalised chalcophile element profiles, a lack of Cu-S correlation and textural observations (such as sperrylite losing its euhedral shape when in contact with altered minerals) suggest partial remobilisation of Pt, Au and Cu by postmagmatic hydrothermal fluids after the sulphide crystallisation. Authors’ addresses: R. Pi?a, L. Ortega, R. Lunar, Departamento de Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Geología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, ES-28040 Madrid, Spain; F. Gervilla, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Granada-CSIC, Avda. Fuentenueva, s/n, ES-18002 Granada, Spain     

Periodic orbits of an electric charge in a magnetic dipole field

Periodic orbits in the Stormer problem are studied using the symmetry lines of the Poincaré map introduced by De Vogelaere. Many known facts are explained by mean of these lines. The dynamics of four special symmetry lines when the Stormer parameter ₁ changes is presented, and we obtain a clear global view of the structure of the simple periodic orbits and their bifurcations, including the asymmetrical ones. New asymmetrical multiple periodic orbits are obtained.     

用混合和扩散云室对大气冰核浓度的观测分析

继1963年用混合云室对春季冰核浓度观测之后，1994～1996年，在同季节、同地点用混合和静力扩散云室又做了同步观测。对取得的资料进行整理分析，得出了凝华核浓度在不同天气背景下占总冰核浓度的百分比，两种云室测值的对应关系；分析了扩散云室的容积效应及冰核浓度随气压、能见度等气象因子的变化。     

Exfoliation of kaolinite by urea-intercalation precursor and microwave irradiation assistance process

A type of exfoliated kaolinite was produced by urea-intercalation and original microwave irradiation assisted method. The product was investigated by Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and laser particle analysis techniques. FT-IR spectra show that NHCO molecule exists in the intercalated kaolinite. XRD analyses indicate that the kaolinite sheet-like structure was disordered after microwave irradiation. The urea decomposition process and explosion effect between the sheet-like structures of kaolinite under microwave irradiation were discussed. The SEM and BET analyses reveal that the end product is exfoliated kaolinite with thin particles and increased surface area. Size and zeta potential analyses show that the particle size distribution is between 250 nm and 550 nm with normal distribution and the particle is negatively charged. In comparison with the conventional grind method, the process adopted appears to be economic and the exfoliated kaolinite end product may display a significantly enhanced performance in industrial applications.     

Silver–bearing minerals in the Xinhua hydrothermal vein-type Pb-Zn deposit,South China

Mineralogy and Petrology - Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) results are reported for newly identified silver–bearing minerals from the Xinhua deposit, Yunkaidashan area, South China. The...     

The potential of FAST in detecting celestial hydroxyl masers and related science topics

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST) will make contributions to studies of Galactic and extragalactic masers. This telescope, with construction finished and now undergoing commissioning, has an innovative design that leads to the highest sensitivity of any single dish radio telescope in the world. FAST's potential for OH megamaser research is discussed, including the sky density of masers detectable in surveys. The scientific impact expected from FAST maser studies is also discussed.     

Comparative phylogeography of African rain forest trees: A review of genetic signatures of vegetation history in the Guineo-Congolian region

The biogeographic history of the African rain forests has been contentious. Phylogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of genetic lineages within species, can highlight the signatures of historical events affecting the demography and distribution of species (i.e. population fragmentation or size changes, range expansion/contraction) and, thereby, the ecosystems they belong to. The accumulation of recent data for African rain forests now enables a first biogeographic synthesis for the region. In this review, we explain which phylogeographic patterns are expected under different scenarios of past demographic change, and we give an overview of the patterns detected in African rain forest trees to discuss whether they support alternative hypotheses regarding the history of the African rain forest cover. The major genetic discontinuities in the region support the role of refugia during climatic oscillations, though not necessarily following the classically proposed scenarios. We identify in particular a genetic split between the North and the South of the Lower Guinean region. Finally we provide some perspectives for future study.     

洞庭湖古湖滨砾石层的发现及意义

洞庭湖曾经是中国第一大淡水湖,解放初期湖泊面积为4350km^2,如今仅有2691km^2.由于洞庭湖承纳“四水”,吞吐长江,是长江中游最重要的调蓄洪湖泊,其变化直接影响到长江中游的防洪和生态环境.因此,洞庭湖的演化一直为学术界所关注.