Chemical composition of primary cosmic rays with energies from 10 to 10 eV

The chemical composition of primary cosmic rays with energies from 10¹⁵ to 10^16.5 eV, so called “knee” region, is examined. We have observed the time structures of air Čerenkov light associated with air showers at Mt. Chacaltaya, Bolivia, since 1995. The distribution of a parameter that characterizes the observed time structures is compared with that calculated with a Monte Carlo technique for various chemical compositions. Then the energy dependence of the average logarithmic mass numbers ln A of the primary cosmic rays is determined. The present result at 10^15.3 eV is almost consistent with the result of JACEE (A12) and shows gradual increase in ln A as a function of the primary energy (A24 at 10¹⁶ eV). Form the comparison of the observational results with several theoretical models, we conclude that the supernova explosion of massive stars is a plausible candidate for the origin of cosmic rays around the “knee” region.     

5@5 – a 5 GeV energy threshold array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes at 5 km altitude

We discuss the concept and the performance of a powerful future ground-based astronomical instrument, 5@5 – a 5 GeV energy threshold stereoscopic array of several large imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) installed at a very high mountain elevation of about 5 km a.s.l. – for the study of the γ-ray sky at energies from approximately 5 to 100 GeV, where the capabilities of both the current space-based and ground-based γ-ray projects are quite limited. With its potential to detect the “standard” EGRET γ-ray sources with spectra extending beyond several GeV in exposure times from 1 to 10³ s, such a detector may serve as an ideal “gamma-ray timing explorer” for the study of transient non-thermal phenomena like γ-radiation from AGN jets, synchrotron flares of microquasars, the high energy (GeV) counterparts of gamma ray bursts, etc. 5@5 also would allow detailed γ-ray spectroscopy of persistent nonthermal sources like pulsars, supernova remnants, plerions, radiogalaxies, and others, with unprecedented for γ-ray astronomy photon statistics. The existing technological achievements in the design and construction of multi(1000)-pixel, high resolution imagers, as well as of large, 20 m diameter class multi-mirror dishes with rather modest optical requirements, would allow the construction of such a detector in the foreseeable future, although in the longer terms from the point of view of ongoing projects of 100 GeV threshold IACT arrays like HESS which is in the build-up phase. An ideal site for such an instrument could be a high-altitude, 5 km a.s.l. or more, flat area with a linear scale of about 100 m in a very arid mountain region in the Atacama desert of Northern Chile.     

On-line recognition of supernova neutrino bursts in the LVD

In this paper we show the capabilities of the Large Volume Detector (INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory) to identify a neutrino burst associated with a supernova explosion, in the absence of an “external trigger”, e.g., an optical observation. We describe how the detector trigger and event selection have been optimized for this purpose, and we detail the algorithm used for the on-line burst recognition. The on-line sensitivity of the detector is defined and discussed in terms of supernova distance and intensity at the source.     

Cosmic-ray induced neutrino fluxes at the Moon: A semi-analytic approach

Cosmic-ray induced neutrino backgrounds at the Moon are estimated using a semi-analytic approach. The analytic expressions are derived, flux estimates for and are given, and comparisons with the analogous backgrounds generated in the Earth’s atmosphere are presented. Suppression of the lunar fluxes relative to the terrestrial fluxes is found. At energies >10 GeV, the suppression approaches a maximum of order 10⁻⁴. The lower background environment suggests that the Moon may be advantageous for future particle astrophysics endeavors.     

Crystallization temperature determination of Itokawa particles by plagioclase thermometry with X‐ray diffraction data obtained by a high‐resolution synchrotron Gandolfi camera

The crystallization temperatures of Itokawa surface particles recovered by the space probe Hayabusa were estimated by a plagioclase geothermometer using sodic plagioclase triclinicity. The Δ131‐index required for the thermometer, which is the difference in X‐ray diffraction peak positions between the 131 and 11 reflections of plagioclase, was obtained by a high‐resolution synchrotron Gandolfi camera developed for the third generation synchrotron radiation beamline, BL15XU at SPring‐8. Crystallization temperatures were successfully determined from the Δ131‐indices for four particles. The observed plagioclase crystallization temperatures were in a range from 655 to 660 °C. The temperatures indicate crystallization temperatures of plagioclases in the process of prograde metamorphism before the peak metamorphic stage.     

Using large radio telescopes at decametre wavelengths

With the aim of evaluating the actual possibilities of doing, from the ground, sensitive radio astronomy at decametre wavelengths (particularly below ), an extensive program of radio observations was carried out, in 1999–2002, by using digital spectral and waveform analysers (DSP) of new generation, connected to several of the largest, decametre radio telescopes in the world (i.e., the UTR-2 and URANs arrays in Ukraine, and the Nançay Decametre Array in France).

We report and briefly discuss some new findings, dealing with decametre radiation from Jupiter and the Solar Corona: namely the discovery of new kinds of hyper fine structures in spectrograms of the active Sun, and a new characterisation of Jupiter's “millisecond” radiation, whose waveform samples, with time resolution down to 40 ns, and correlated measurements, by using far distant antennas (3000 km), have been obtained. In addition, scattering effects, caused by the terrestrial ionosphere and the interplanetary medium, could be disentangled through high time resolution and wide-band analyses of solar, planetary and strong galactic radio sources. Consequences for decametre wavelength imaging at high spatial resolution (VLBI) are outlined. Furthermore, in spite of the very unfavourable electromagnetic environment in this frequency range, a substantial increase in the quality of the observations was shown to be provided by using new generation spectrometers, based on sophisticated digital techniques. Indeed, the available, high dynamic range of such devices greatly decreases the effects of artificial and natural radio interference. We give several examples of successful signal detection in the case of much weaker radio sources than Solar System ones, down to the intensity level.

In summary, we conclude that searching for sensitivity improvement at the decametre wavelength is scientifically quite justified, and is now technically feasible, in particular by building giant, phased antenna arrays of much larger collecting area (as in the LOFAR project). In this task, one must be careful of some specifics of this wavelength range—somewhat unusual in “classical” radio astronomy—i.e., very high level and density of radio interference (telecommunications) and the variable terrestrial ionosphere.     

Determination of the equilibrium fO2 in bulk samples of H,L, and LL ordinary chondrites by solid‐state electrochemistry

High‐temperature solid‐state electrochemistry techniques (EMF method) were used to measure the oxygen fugacity (fO₂) of the ordinary chondrites Ochansk (H4), Savtschenskoje (LL4), Elenovka (L5), Vengerovo (H5), and Kharkov (L6). The fO₂ results are presented in the form of the following equations: It was found that fO₂ regularly increases from H chondrites to LL chondrites. Measured fO₂ are ~1.5 higher than those previously calculated from mineral assemblages. Kharkov (L6) is a little more oxidized than Elenovka (L5) in agreement with the progressive oxidation model. At the same time, Ochansk (H4) is more oxidized than Vengerovo (H5) and exhibits a slightly different slope compared to other chondrites and at T > 1200 K, becomes more reduced than Kharkov (L6) or Elenovka (L5). Measured oxygen fugacity values of meteorites fall within (0.1–1.0)·log fO₂ of one another. The possible explanation of discrepancies between measured and calculated values is discussed.     

Vapor‐condensed phase processes in the early solar system

Abstract– Equilibrium thermodynamic calculations of the sequence of condensation of phases from a cooling gas of solar composition at total pressures thought to have prevailed in the inner part of the solar nebula successfully predict the primary mineral assemblages of refractory inclusions in CM2 and CV3 chondrites. Many refractory inclusions in CM2 chondrites contain a relatively SiO₂‐poor assemblage (spinel, hibonite, grossite, perovskite, corundum) that represents a high‐temperature stage of condensation, and some may be pristine condensates that escaped later melting. Compact Type A and Type B refractory inclusions, consisting of spinel, melilite, perovskite, Ca‐rich clinopyroxene ± anorthite, in CV3 chondrites are more SiO₂‐rich and equilibrated with the solar nebular gas at a slightly lower temperature. Textures of many of these objects indicate that they underwent melting after condensation, crystallizing into the same phase assemblage as their precursors. The Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ratio of their pyroxene indicates that this process occurred in a gas whose oxygen fugacity () was approximately 8.5 log units below that of the iron‐wüstite buffer, making them the only objects in chondrites known to have formed in a system whose composition was close to that of the sun. Relative to CI chondrites, these inclusions are uniformly enriched in a group of elements (e.g., Ca, REE, Zr, Ta, Ir) that are chemically diverse except for their high condensation temperatures in a system of solar composition. The enrichment factor, 17.5, can be interpreted to mean that these objects represent either the first 5.7 wt% of the condensable matter to condense during nebular cooling or the residue after vaporization of 94.3% of a CI chondrite precursor. The Mg and Si isotopic compositions of Types A and B inclusions are mass‐fractionated by up to 10 and 4 ‰/amu, respectively. When interpreted in terms of Rayleigh fractionation during evaporation of Mg and Si from the inclusions while they were molten, the isotopic compositions imply that up to 60% of the Mg and up to 25% of the Si were evaporated, and that approximately 80% of the enrichment in refractory (CaO+Al₂O₃) relative to more volatile (MgO+SiO₂) in the average inclusion is due to initial condensation and approximately 20% due to subsequent evaporation. The mineralogical composition, including the Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ratio of the pyroxene, in Inti, a particle sampled from Comet Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft, is nearly identical to that of a Type B inclusion, indicating that comets contain not only the lowest‐temperature condensates in the form of ices but the highest‐temperature condensates as well. The FeO/(FeO+MgO) ratios of olivine and pyroxene in the matrix and chondrules of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites are too high to be made in a system of solar composition, requiring s only 1 or 2 log units below iron‐wüstite, more than 10⁵ times higher than that of a solar gas. Various ways have been devised to generate cosmic gases sufficiently oxidizing to stabilize significant FeO in olivine at temperatures above those where Fe‐Mg interdiffusion in olivine ceases. One is by vertical settling of dust toward the nebular midplane, enriching a region in dust relative to gas. Because dust is enriched in oxygen compared to carbon and hydrogen relative to solar composition, a higher results from total vaporization of the region, but the factor by which theoretical models have so far enriched the dust is 10 times too low. Another is by transporting icy bodies from the outer part of the nebula into the hot, inner part where vaporization of water ice occurs. Not only does this method fail to make the needed by a factor of 30–1000 but it also ignores simultaneous evaporation of carbon‐bearing ices that would make the even lower.     

Two strong radio bursts at high and medium Galactic latitude

The Nasu Observatory, which is composed of eight 20 m elements, was constructed for observing radio transients over a wide field at 1400 MHz. We report on two radio transients detected in consecutive drift scanning observations at declination 32° over a period of about two months. One of the two transients, WJN J1039+3200, appeared at =10^h39^m40^s±10^s, δ=32°±0.4° on March 4, 2005, and the other one, WJN J0645+3200, appeared at =06^h45^m25^s±10^s, δ=32°±0.4° on March 24, 2005. Both exhibited flux densities in excess of 1 Jy, and the burst durations were up to two days. Since there are few examples of radio transients outside the Galactic plane, these are very important observations. We have previously reported on four radio transients with features that look like the two transients detected this time. Of these six WJN transients in total, five had a duration of up to two days, and one up to three days. Four of the transients were detected at high Galactic latitude of b > 30°. Counterparts of the six WJN transients included X-ray sources in four events and had a consistency of 66%. The consistency of γ-ray, PGC Galaxy, NVSS, and FIRST sources was concentrated at about 50%. We were not able to find any special features in the counterparts. The distribution was verified by making a log N–log S plot using data for the four previously detected transients and the new ones. As a result, the distribution of the radio transients that we observed might have an isotropic distribution not dependent on Galactic longitude and Galactic latitude. The detection probability was calculated based on the assumption of an isotropic distribution. The 2σ upper probability limit for detection of transients of 1000 mJy or more is 0.0049 [deg⁻² yr⁻¹]. We cannot yet identify these two radio transients, because their features are different from any radio bursts observed in the past.     

New exact solutions for power-law inflation Friedmann models

We consider the spatially flat Friedmann model For a ≈ t^p, especially, if p ≥ 1, this is called power-law inflation. For the Lagrangian L = R^m with p = − (m − 1) (2m − 1)/(m − 2) power-law inflation is an exact solution, as it is for Einstein gravity with a minimally coupled scalar field ϕ in an exponential potential V(ϕ) = exp (μϕ) and also for the higher-dimensional Einstein equation with a special Kaluza-Klein ansatz. The synchronized coordinates are not adapted to allow a closed-form solution, so we write The general solutions reads Q(a) = (a^b + C)^f/b with free integration constant C (C = 0 gives exact power-law inflation) and m-dependent values b and f: f = −2 + 1/p, b = (4m − 5)/(m − 1). Finally, special solutions for the closed and open Friedmann model are found.     

Fast radio imaging of Jupiter''s magnetosphere at low-frequencies with LOFAR

Jupiter emits intense decameter (DAM) radio waves, detectable from the ground in the range 10–40 MHz. They are produced by energetic electron precipitations in its auroral regions (auroral-DAM), as well as near the magnetic footprints of the Galilean satellite Io (Io-DAM). Radio imaging of these decameter emissions with arcsecond angular resolution and millisecond time resolution should provide:

(1) an improved mapping of the surface planetary magnetic field, via imaging of instantaneous cyclotron sources of highest frequency;

(2) measurements of the beaming angle of the radiation relative to the local magnetic field, as a function of frequency;

(3) detailed information on the Io–Jupiter electrodynamic interaction, in particular the lead angle between the Io flux tube and the radio emitting field line;

(4) direct information on the origin of the sporadic drifting decameter S-bursts, thought to be electron bunches propagating along magnetic field lines, and possibly revealing electric potential drops along these field lines;

(5) direct observation of DAM emission possibly related to the Ganymede–Jupiter, Europa–Jupiter and/or Callisto–Jupiter interactions, and their energetics;

(6) information on the magnetospheric dynamics, via correlation of radio images with ultraviolet and infrared images of the aurora as well as of the Galilean satellite footprints, and study of their temporal variations;

(7) an improved mapping of the Jovian plasma environment (especially the Io torus) via the propagation effects that it induces on the radio waves propagating through it (Faraday rotation, diffraction fringes, etc.);

(8) possibly on the long-term a better accuracy on the determination of Jupiter's rotation period.

Fast imaging should be permitted by the very high intensity of Jovian decameter bursts. LOFAR's capability to measure the full polarization of the incoming waves will be exploited. The main limitation will come from the maximum angular resolution reachable. We discuss several approaches for bringing it close to the value of 1^″ at 30–40 MHz, as required for the above studies.

The impact of the new Earth gravity models on the measurement of the Lense–Thirring effect with a new satellite

In this paper we investigate the opportunities offered by the new Earth gravity models from the dedicated CHAMP and, especially, GRACE missions to the project of measuring the general relativistic Lense–Thirring effect with a new Earth’s artificial satellite. It turns out that it would be possible to abandon the stringent, and expensive, requirements on the orbital geometry of the originally prosed LARES mission (same semimajor axis a = 12,270 km of the existing LAGEOS and inclination i = 70°) by inserting the new spacecraft in a relatively low, and cheaper, orbit (a = 7500–8000 km, i  70°) and suitably combining its node Ω with those of LAGEOS and LAGEOS II in order to cancel out the first two even zonal harmonic coefficients of the multipolar expansion of the terrestrial gravitational potential J₂, J₄ along with their temporal variations , . The total systematic error due to the mismodelling in the remaining even zonal harmonics would amount to 1% and would be insensitive to departures of the inclination from the originally proposed value of many degrees. No semisecular long-period perturbations would be introduced because the period of the node, which is also the period of the solar K₁ tidal perturbation, would amount to 10² days. Since the coefficient of the node of the new satellite would be smaller than 0.1 for such low altitudes, the impact of the non-gravitational perturbations of it on the proposed combination would be negligible. Then, a particular financial and technological effort for suitably building the satellite in order to minimize the non-conservative accelerations would be unnecessary.     

Evolutionary processes in protoplanetary accretion disks: the propagation of axisymmetric shock waves

In this paper we investigate both the global and the local hydrodynamics of axisymmetric accretion disks around young stellar objects under the simultaneous action of viscosity, self-gravity and pressure forces. For simplicity, we take for the global model a polytropic equation of state, make the infinitely thin disk approximation and characterize the surface density and temperature profiles in the disk as power laws in the radial distance r from the protostar. We solve the problem of the general density profile of a Keplerian disk showing that self-gravity could not be an important factor for the fast formation of the rocky cores of giant gaseous planets in our solar system. Under the hypothesis that the unperturbed rotation curve of the disk is nearly Keplerian throughout the radial extent, we can estimate with our polytropic model a lower limit for the resulting masses M_d(r) of stable disks up to 100 AU. These masses are in the range of the so-called minimum mass solar nebular (_d/M_s ≈ 0.01–0.02).By adopting a simplified viscosity model, where the height-integrated turbulent dynamical viscosity ν is a function of the surface density σ like η ∝ σ^Γ, we derive in the local shearing sheet model linearized evolution equations for small density perturbations describing both a diffusion process and the propagation of acoustic density waves. We solve a special initial value problem and calculate the appropriate Green's function. The analytical solutions so obtained describe in the case Γ < 0 the successive formation of quasi-stationary ring-shaped density structures in a disk with a definite mode of maximum instability, whereas in the case Γ > Γ_c the density wave equation describes the propagation of an “overstable” ring-shaped acoustic density wavelet to the outer ranges of the accretion disk. Whereas the group velocity of the wave packet is subsonic, the phase velocities of individual wave crests in the wave packet are supersonic. The mode of maximum instability, the growth rate and the number of growing waves in the wavelet are controlled by Γ and α. Our present knowledge concerning turbulent viscosity in protoplanetary disks is not sufficient to decide whether or not the case Γ > Γ_c is realized.The suggested structuring processes in the linear theory should initiate in the non-linear regime the formation of narrow ring-shaped density shock waves moving through the protoplanetary disk. These non-linear waves could produce extremely spatially and temporally heterogeneous temperature regions in the disk. We speculate that ring-shaped density waves, excited by inner boundary conditions and which have dominated the disk's evolution at early times, are responsible both for the fast growth of dust to planetesimals and at least for the rapid accretion of the rocky cores of giant gaseous planets in the protoplanetary accretion disk (shock wave trigger hypothesis). We derive provisional scaling rules for planetary systems regarding the spacing of orbits as a function of the mass ratio of the protoplanetary disk to the protostar. However, further analytical work and linear as well as nonlinear numerical simulations of density waves excited by inner boundary conditions are needed to consolidate the results and speculations of our linear wave mechanics in the future.     

WIP: A Web‐based program for indexing planar features in quartz grains and its usage

Planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz are the most important diagnostic features that allow the unambiguous identification of impact structures on Earth. In order to confirm that these features (that are characterized by planar character and form along specific crystallographic planes) are indeed PDFs, they need to be properly investigated and indexed. Following universal‐stage measurements, the process of indexing is usually performed manually, using a Wulff stereonet and following a strict procedure, which is time consuming and error prone. In this article, we present WIP, a new Web‐based program for indexing planar deformation features in quartz. The correctness of our program is shown by its application to measurements that had previously been indexed manually. The observed minor differences, especially in the absolute frequency percentage of PDFs, are negligible and not significant enough to influence the estimation of shock pressure that could be calculated from the indexed results. Usability of this program is shown using the spatial relationships between a statistically significant number of 278 quartz grains with 409 sets of PDFs analyzed within the area (~35 mm²) of a single thin section of a meta‐greywacke from the Bosumtwi impact structure. Our program is not only more accurate and faster than the manual (graphical) method but also removes the human error from the plotting process and allows control of several parameters, such as the value of estimated measurement error used in the indexing calculation or method of aggregated error handling. The program also provides information about the angles between the planes of the measured PDF sets present in a grain, which allows determination of the angles between (for example) indexed {} and {} sets.     

Oral histories in meteoritics and planetary science – XXII: John T. Wasson

In this interview, John Wasson (Fig.  1 ) describes his childhood and undergraduate years in Arkansas and his desire to pursue nuclear chemistry as a graduate student at MIT. Upon graduation, John spent time in Munich (Technische Hochschule), the Air Force Labs in Cambridge, MA, and a sabbatical at the University of Bern where he developed his interests in meteorites. Upon obtaining his faculty position at UCLA, John established a neutron activation laboratory and began a long series of projects on the bulk compositions of iron meteorites and chondrites. He developed the chemical classification scheme for iron meteorites, gathered a huge set of iron meteorite compositional data with resultant insights into their formation, and documented the refractory and moderately volatile element trends that characterize the chondrites and chondrules. He also spent several years studying field relations and compositions of layered tektites from Southeast Asia, proposing an origin by radiant heating from a mega‐Tunguska explosion. Recently, John has explored oxygen isotope patterns in meteorites and their constituents believing the oxygen isotope results to be some of the most important discoveries in cosmochemistry. John also describes the role of postdoctoral colleagues and their important work, his efforts in the reorganization and modernization of the Meteoritical Society, his contributions in reshaping the journal Meteoritics, and how, with UCLA colleagues, he organized two meetings of the society. John Wasson earned the Leonard Medal of the Meteoritical Society in 1992 and the J. Lawrence Smith Medal of the National Academy in 2003.

Figure 1 Open in figure viewer PowerPoint John T. Wasson.

DS

John, thank you for letting me document your oral history. Let us start with my normal opening question, how did you get interested in meteorites?

JW

My Ph.D. research was in nuclear chemistry at MIT. Until late in my studies I thought I could be a nuclear chemist using the classical scientific method. That is, you gather data on a topic that seems interesting, you look for patterns in the data, and you write an interpretative paper that explains the data. I had learned, though, by going to Gordon Conferences, that this was not the way nuclear chemistry was being done. Nuclear chemists measured gamma ray energies as accurately as they could, they tried to fit these into energy levels diagrams, and then the nuclear physicists took over and interpreted the data. The nuclear physicists looked for the patterns in the energy‐level diagrams and made the models. That was not what I had in mind. But while I was at MIT, I heard lectures by Harold Urey, Hans Suess, and James Arnold. These were people whose backgrounds were not that different from mine and all three extolled the virtues of working on meteorites, and how you could learn neat things about how the solar system worked. That's a strength of MIT, exposure to neat ideas, and I credit the institution for doing this. So that was it. I was hooked.

DS

You have talked to us about how you became interested in meteorites, let's go back and talk about your precollege years.

     

Mineralogy and chemistry of Rumuruti: The first meteorite fall of the new R chondrite group

Abstract— The Rumuruti meteorite shower fell in Rumuruti, Kenya, on 1934 January 28 at 10:43 p.m. Rumuruti is an olivine-rich chondritic breccia with light-dark structure. Based on the coexistence of highly recrystallized fragments and unequilibrated components, Rumuruti is classified as a type 3–6 chondrite breccia. The most abundant phase of Rumuruti is olivine (mostly Fa_～39) with about 70 vol%. Feldspar (～14 vol%; mainly plagioclase), Ca-pyroxene (5 vol%), pyrrhotite (4.4 vol%), and pentlandite (3.6 vol%) are major constituents. All other phases have abundances below 1 vol%, including low-Ca pyroxene, chrome spinels, phosphates (chlorapatite and whitlockite), chalcopyrite, ilmenite, tridymite, Ni-rich and Ge-containing metals, kamacite, and various particles enriched in noble metals like Pt, Ir, arid Au. The chemical composition of Rumuruti is chondritic. The depletion in refractory elements (Sc, REE, etc.) and the comparatively high Mn, Na, and K contents are characteristic of ordinary chondrites and distinguish Rumuruti from carbonaceous chondrites. However, S, Se, and Zn contents in Rumuruti are significantly above the level expected for ordinary chondrites. The oxygen isotope composition of Rumuruti is high in δ¹⁷O (5.52 ‰) and δ¹⁸O (5.07 ‰). Previously, a small number of chondritic meteorites with strong similarities to Rumuruti were described. They were called Carlisle Lakes-type chondrites and they comprise: Carlisle Lakes, ALH85151, Y-75302, Y-793575, Y-82002, Acfer 217, PCA91002, and PCA91241, as well as clasts in the Weatherford chondrite. All these meteorites are finds from hot and cold deserts having experienced various degrees of weathering. With Rumuruti, the first meteorite fall has been recognized that preserves the primary mineralogical and chemical characteristics of a new group of meteorites. Comparing all chondrites, the characteristic features can be summarized as follows: (a) basically chondritic chemistry with ordinary chondrite element patterns of refractory and moderately volatile lithophiles but higher abundances of S, Se, and Zn; (b) high degree of oxidation (37–41 mol% Fa in olivine, only traces of Fe, Ni-metals, occurrence of chalcopyrite); (c) exceptionally high Δ¹⁷O values of about 2.7 for bulk samples; (d) high modal abundance of olivine (～70 vol%); (e) Ti-Fe³⁺?rich chromite (～5.5 wt% TiO₂); (f) occurrence of various noble metal-rich particles; (g) abundant chondritic breccias consisting of equilibrated clasts and unequilibrated lithologies. With Rumuruti, nine meteorite samples exist that are chemically and mineralogically very similar. These meteorites are attributed to at least eight different fall events. It is proposed in this paper to call this group R chondrites (rumurutiites) after the first and only fall among these meteorites. These meteorites have a close relationship to ordinary chondrites. However, they are more oxidized than any of the existing groups of ordinary chondrites. Small, but significant differences in chemical composition and in oxygen isotopes between R chondrites and ordinary chondrites exclude formation of R chondrites from ordinary chondrites by oxidation. This implies a separate, independent R chondrite parent body.     

PheniX: a new vision for the hard X-ray sky

We are proposing a mission devoted to high energy X-ray astronomy that is based on a focusing telescope operating in the 1?C200?keV energy range but optimized for the hard X-ray range. The main scientific topics concern: Physics of compact objects: The proximity of compact objects provides a unique laboratory to study matter and radiation in extreme conditions of temperature and density in strong gravitational environment. The emission of high energy photons from these objects is far from being understood. The unprecedented sensitivity in the high energy domain will allow a precise determination of the non-thermal processes at work in the vicinity of compact objects. The full 1?C200?keV energy coverage will be ideal to disentangle the emission processes produced in the spacetime regions most affected by strong-gravity, as well as the physical links: disk?Cthermal emission?Ciron line?Ccomptonisation?Creflection?Cnon-thermal emission?Cjets. Neutron stars?Cmagnetic field?Ccyclotron lines: Time resolved spectroscopy (and polarimetry) at ultra-high sensitivity of AXP, milliseconds pulsars and magnetars will give new tools to study the role of the synchrotron processes at work in these objects. Cyclotron lines?Cdirect measurement of magnetic filed?Cequation of state constraints?Cshort bursts?Cgiant flares could all be studied with great details. AGN: The large sensitivity improvement will provide detailed spectral properties of the high energy emission of AGN??s. This will give a fresh look to the connection between accretion and jet emission and will provide a new understanding of the physical processes at work. Detection of high-redshift active nuclei in this energy range will allow to introduce an evolutionary aspect to high-energy studies of AGN, probing directly the origin of the Cosmic X-ray Background also in the non-thermal range (> 20?keV). Element formation?CSupernovae: The energy resolution achievable for this mission (<0.5?keV) and a large high energy effective area are ideally suited for the 44Ti line study (68 and 78?keV). This radioactive nuclei emission will give an estimate of their quantities and speed in their environment. In addition the study of the spatial structure and spectral emission of SNR will advance our knowledge of the dynamics of supernovae explosions, of particles acceleration mechanisms and how the elements are released in the interstellar medium. Instrumental design: The progress of X-ray focusing optics techniques allows a major step in the instrumental design: the collecting area becomes independent of the detection area. This drastically reduces the instrumental background and will open a new era. The optics will be based on depth-graded multi-layer mirrors in a Wolter I configuration. To obtain a significant effective area in the hundred of keV range a focal length in the 40?C50 meters range (attainable with a deployable mast) is needed. In addition such a mission could benefit from recent progress made on mirror coating. We propose to cover the 1?C200?keV energy range with a single detector, a double-sided Germanium strip detector operating at 80?K. The main features will be: (a) good energy resolution (.150?keV at 5?keV and <.5?keV at 100?keV), (b) 3 dimensional event localization with a low number of electronic chains, (c) background rejection by the 3D localization, (d) polarisation capabilities in the Compton regime.     

Expanding and superdense astrophysical systems in general relativistic hierarchical cosmology

A semi-continuous hierarchy, (i.e., one in which there are galaxies outside clusters, clusters outside superclusters etc.), is examined using an expression of the field equations of general relativity in a form due to Podurets, Misner and Sharp. It is shown (a) that for a sufficiently populous hierarchy, the thinning factor( _i+1/ _i [r _i /r _i+1] is approximately equal to the exponentN in a continuous density law (=aR ^–N) provided (r _i /r _i+1)^3-1; (b) that a hierarchical Universe will not look decidedly asymmetric to an observer like a human being because such salient observers live close to the densest elements of the hierarchy (viz stars), the probability of the Universe looking spherically symmetric (dipole anisotropy0.1 to such an observer being of order unity; (c) the existence of a semi-continuous or continuous hierarchy (Peebles) requires that 2 if galaxies, not presently bound to clusters were once members of such systems; (d) there are now in existence no less than ten arguments for believing 2, though recent number counts by Sandageet al. seem to be in contradiction to such a value; (e) Hubble's law, withH independent of distance, can be proved approximately in a relativistic hierarchy provided (i)N=2, (ii)2GM(R)/c ² R1; (iii)Rc (iv)M0 in a system of massM, sizeR (f) Hubble's law holds also in a hierarchy with density jumps; (g)H100 km s^–1 Mpc^–1; (h) objects forming the stellar level of the hierarchy (in a cosmology of the Wilson type) must once have had 2GM/c ² R1; (i) there is a finite pressurep=2Ga in all astrophysical systems (a=R ^N ,N2); (j) for the Galaxy, theory predictsp _G7×10^–12 dyn cm^–2, observation givesp _G5×10^–12 dyn cm^–2; (k) if the mass-defect (or excess binding energy) hypothesis is taken as a postulate, all non-collapsed astrophysical systems must be non-static, and any non-static, p0 systems must in any case be losing mass; (1) the predicted mass-loss rate from the Sun is 10¹² g s^–1, compared to 10¹¹ g s^–1 in the observed solar wind; (m) the mass-loss rates known by observation imply timescales of 5×10⁹ years for the Sun and 10¹⁰ years for other astrophysical systems; (n) degenerate superdense objects composed of fermions must haveN-2 if they were ever at their Schwarzschild radii and comprised a finite numberN _B of baryons; (o)N _B10⁵⁷N for degenerate fermion and boson systems; (p)285-4; (q) the metric coefficients for superdense bodies give equations of motion that imply equal maximum luminosities for all evolving superdense bodies (L _max10⁵⁹ erg s^–1); (r) larger bodies have longer time-scales of energy radiation atL _max (10^–5 s for stars,1 h for QSO's) (s) expansion velocities are c soon after the initial loss of equilibrium in a superdense object; (t) if the density parametera(t) in aR ^–N isa=a (non-atomic constants of physicsc, G, A), andA, thenN=2; (u) N2 is necessary to giveMM at the stellar level of the hierarchy;(v) systems larger than, and including, galaxies must have formed by clumping of smaller systems and not (as advocated by Wertz and others) in a multiple big bang.