Isotope fractionation of neon during stepheating extraction?: a comment on ‘Re‐interpretation of the existence of a primitive plume under Australia based on neon isotope fractionation during step heating’ by Gautheron and Moreira (2003)

Using a Rayleigh distillation fractionation model, we calculate that the maximum isotope fractionation potentially achievable is less than 5% during the early stages of gas release from a sample. Our calculation corrects the erroneous conclusions of Gautheron and Moreira (2003), who re‐interpreted the plume‐like neon isotopic compositions found in metasomatic apatite from a south‐eastern Australian xenolith (Matsumoto et al., 1997) to be the result of Rayleigh‐type isotope fractionation of originally MORB‐type neon during stepheating gas extraction. We stress that the modelling of neon isotopic fractionation by Gautheron and Moreira (2003) is incorrect, and that the finding of a plume‐like neon isotopic composition in the apatite by Matsumoto et al. (1997) remains a quite valid and robust conclusion.     

Impact processing of chondritic planetesimals: Siderophile and volatile element fractionation in the Chico L chondrite

Abstract— A large impact event 500 Ma ago shocked and melted portions of the L‐chondrite parent body. Chico is an impact melt breccia produced by this event. Sawn surfaces of this 105 kg meteorite reveal a dike of fine‐grained, clast‐poor impact melt cutting shocked host chondrite. Coarse (1–2 cm diameter) globules of FeNi metal + sulfide are concentrated along the axis of the dike from metal‐poor regions toward the margins. Refractory lithophile element abundance patterns in the melt rock are parallel to average L chondrites, demonstrating near‐total fusion of the L‐chondrite target by the impact and negligible crystal‐liquid fractionation during emplacement and cooling of the dike. Significant geochemical effects of the impact melting event include fractionation of siderophile and chalcophile elements with increasing metal‐silicate heterogeneity, and mobilization of moderately to highly volatile elements. Siderophile and chalcophile elements ratios such as Ni/Co, Cu/Ga, and Ir/Au vary systematically with decreasing metal content of the melt. Surprisingly small (?10²) effective metal/silicate‐melt distribution coefficients for highly siderophile elements probably reflect inefficient segregation of metal despite the large degrees of melting. Moderately volatile lithophile elements such K and Rb were mobilized and heterogeneously distributed in the L‐chondrite impact breccias whereas highly volatile elements such as Cs and Pb were profoundly depleted in the region of the parent body sampled by Chico. Volatile element variations in Chico and other L chondrites are more consistent with a mechanism related to impact heating rather than condensation from a solar nebula. Impact processing can significantly alter the primary distributions of siderophile and volatile elements in chondritic planetesimals.     

Electron microscopy study of the iron meteorite Santa Catharina

Abstract— Characterization of the microstructural features of the metal of the Santa Catharina meteorite was performed using a variety of electron optical techniques. Sample USNM#6293 is chemically homogeneous on the micron scale and has a Ni content of 28.2 wt.%. Its microstructure is similar to that of the Twin City ataxite and contains clear taenite II, i.e., fcc taenite with domains of tetrataenite, < 10 nm in size. Sample USNM#3043 is a more typical Santa Catharina specimen with dark and light regions as observed with the light optical microscope. The dark regions are inhomogeneous and contain 45–50 wt.% Ni and 7–12 wt.% O. The light regions are homogeneous and contain 35 wt.% Ni and no detectable oxygen. The microstructure is that of cloudy zone, i.e., islands of tetrataenite, ～20 nm in size, in a honeycomb matrix. The honeycomb phase contains Ni rich oxide in the dark regions and contains metal, fcc taenite, in the light regions. The original metal structure of USNM#3043 is cloudy zone which formed during cooling into the low temperature miscibility gap of the Fe-Ni phase diagram. The dark regions were developed from the metal by selective corrosion of the honeycomb structure, transforming it into Ni containing oxides, possibly non-stoichiometric Fe₂NiO₄ while retaining the tetrataenite islands. Using the results of this study, many of the existing discrepancies concerning the microstructure of Santa Catharina can be explained.     

Spectra of simulated lightning on Venus,Jupiter, and Titan

Laser-induced plasmas in various gas mixtures were used to simulate lightning in other planetary atmospheres. This method of simulation has the advantage of producing short-duration, high-temperature plasmas free from electrode contamination. The laser-induced plasma discharges in air are shown to accurately simulate terrestrial lightning and can be expected to simulate lightning spectra in other planetary atmospheres. Spectra from 240 to 880 nm are presented for simulated lightning in the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Titan. The spectra of lightning on the other giant planets are expected to be similar to that of Jupiter because the atmospheres of these planets are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. The spectra of Venus and Titan show substantial amounts of radiation due to the presence of carbon atoms and ions and show CN Violet radiation. Although small amounts of CH₄ and NH₃ are present in the Jovian atmosphere, only emission from hydrogen and helium is observed. Most differences in the spectra can be understood in terms of the elemental ratios of the gas mixtures. Consequently, observations of the spectra of lightning on other planets should provide in situ estimates of the atmospheric and aerosol composition in the cloud layers in which lightning is occuring. In particular, the detection of inert gases such as helium should be possible and the relative abundance of these gases compared to major constituents might be determined.     

Results of Photometric and Polarimetric Observations of the Fuor V1057 Cyg from the Time of an Outburst to the Present

Observations of the brightness, color, and polarization of the fuor V1057 Cyg over more than 30 years are presented and briefly discussed. Variability of the linear polarization was found.     

A critical state model for sands dependent on stress and density

An elastoplastic model for sands is presented in this paper, which can describe stress–strain behaviour dependent on mean effective stress level and void ratio. The main features of the proposed model are: (a) a new state parameter, which is dependent on the initial void ratio and initial mean stress, is proposed and applied to the yield function in order to predict the plastic deformation for very loose sands; and (b) another new state parameter, which is used to determine the peak strength and describe the critical state behaviour of sands during shearing, is proposed in order to predict simply negative/positive dilatancy and the hardening/softening behaviour of medium or dense sands. In addition, the proposed model can also predict the stress–strain behaviour of sands under three-dimensional stress conditions by using a transformed stress tensor instead of ordinary stress tensor. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relaxation of the Vela pulsar’s angular velocity following its jumps

The dynamics of the vortex lattice in the inner crust of a neutron star is considered. A general equation of motion is obtained and solved under the assumption that there are regions of pinned and of free vortices. By comparing these solutions with observational data for the Vela pulsar, the relative moments of inertia of regions of relaxation with the corresponding characteristic times are calculated for two model stars with different equations of state. It is shown that the theory can be reconciled with observations of the relaxation of pulsar angular velocity only for model stars with extremely stiff equations of state. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 67–76, January–March, 1997.