An Automated Iridium-Strip Heater for LA-ICP-MS Bulk Analysis of Geological Samples

In this paper we describe a flux‐free fusion technique for the highly precise LA‐ICP‐MS bulk analysis of geological samples. For this purpose we have developed an automated iridium‐strip heater with temperature and melt time control. To optimise the homogeneity of the fused glasses and to reduce possible depletion of volatile elements during melting, we undertook experiments with basaltic rock and glass powders using different melting temperatures (1300–1700 °C) and melting times (5‐80 s). Major and trace element microanalysis was performed using EPMA and LA‐ICP‐MS. Homogeneous glasses were obtained for temperatures ≥ 1500 °C and melting times ≥ 10 s. High loss (20‐90%) of highly volatile elements (e.g., Cs, Ge, Sn, Pb) was observed for high melting temperatures (≥ 1600 °C) and long melting times (80 s). Standard melting conditions (1600 °C, 10 s) represent a compromise, as the glasses were homogeneous with respect to major and trace elements and, at the same time, were not depleted in elements with condensation temperatures (at a pressure of 10^?4 bar) higher than about 900 K (e.g., Zr, Hf, Ba, Sr, REE, U, Mo, Ni, Rb, Ga). Several international geological reference materials with SiO₂ ranging between 47% m/m and 59% m/m were prepared using our standard melting conditions (1600 °C, 10 s) and subsequently analysed by LA‐ICP‐MS. These samples also include the new Brazilian basaltic reference material BRP‐1. Matrix‐matched calibration of the LA‐ICP‐MS data was performed using the basaltic reference glasses KL2‐G, ML3B‐G, BCR‐2G and BHVO‐2G. Most analytical data agreed within uncertainty at the 95% confidence level with the GeoReM preferred values published in the GeoReM database for reference materials of geological and environmental interest. To demonstrate routine bulk LA‐ICP‐MS analyses of geochemical and cosmochemical samples using the whole rock fusion technique, we also present trace element data for ocean island basalts from Lanai (Hawaii) and of Martian meteorites.     

Diversity and distributional patterns of Polychaeta in the deep South Atlantic

This study provides new information about the composition, diversity and zoogeography of abyssal polychaetes in the little-studied South Eastern Atlantic (Angola Basin). During the austral winter of 2000, twenty-five box core samples (total area sampled 6 m²) were taken along a 500-km transect in five work areas at depths exceeding 5000 m. A total of 1047 individuals representing 86 species belonging to 32 families was collected. Well over half the polychaetes (58 species; 67%) appear to be new to science, with the highest number of new species among the Cirratulidae, Paraonidae, Phyllodocidae, Ampharetidae, Opheliidae, and Spionidae. Eight of these new species were among the 16 dominant species in the deep Angola Basin whereas, 32 species (37%) were considered to be rare with only 1–2 individuals collected. Species accumulation curves did not level off at a fixed number of species, indicating that diversity would increase with additional sampling. Polychaete community assemblages among box core samples were highly variable. Ten of the known species are biogeographically widespread outside the Angola Basin whereas five appear to be restricted to the deep Atlantic. Two species have only been recorded in the Southern Ocean, and one in the southern hemisphere. Twenty (35%) of the species considered to be new to science were also found in samples from the deep Southern Ocean, whereas eight of the known species found in the Angola Basin have not been reported from the Southern Ocean to date. Surface deposit feeders and carnivores were the dominant functional groups both in terms of number of individuals and number of species. Necessary steps to further our knowledge of the little-known abyssal ecosystem are discussed.     

The case and fate of HD 75767 – neutron star or supernova?

We report the discovery of the nearby  ( d = 24 pc)  HD 75767 as an eight billion year old quadruple system consisting of a distant M dwarf pair, HD 75767 C–D, in orbit around the known short-period   P = 10.25 d  single-lined binary HD 75767 A–B, the primary of which is a solar-like G star. On the reasonable assumption of synchronous orbital rotation as well as rotational and orbital coplanarity for the inner pair, we get   M _B= 0.96 M_⊙  for the unseen HD 75767 B, that is, the case of a massive white dwarf. Upon future evolution, mass transfer towards HD 75767 B will render the   M _A= 0.96 M_⊙  G-type primary, now a turnoff star, to become a helium white dwarf of   M _A∼ 0.33 M_⊙  . Depending on the mass accretion rate, accretion efficiency and composition of the massive white dwarf, this in turn may result in a collapse of HD 75767 B with the formation of a millisecond pulsar, i.e. the creation of a low-mass binary pulsar (LMBP), or, instead, a Type Ia supernova explosion and the complete disruption of HD 75767 B. Irrespective of which scenario applies, we point to the importance of the distant M dwarfs as the likely agents for the formation of the inner, short-period HD 75767 A–B pair, and hence a path that particularly avoids preceding phases of common envelope evolution.     

The amino acid and hydrocarbon contents of the Paris meteorite: Insights into the most primitive CM chondrite

The Paris meteorite is one of the most primitive carbonaceous chondrites. It is reported to be the least aqueously altered CM chondrite, and to have experienced only weak thermal metamorphism. We have analyzed for the first time the amino acid and hydrocarbon contents of this pristine meteorite by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). When plotting the relative amino acids abundances of several CM chondrites according to the increasing hydrothermal scale (petrologic subtypes), from the CM2.7/2.8 Paris to the CM2.0 MET 01070, Paris has the lowest relative abundance of β‐alanine/glycine (0.15), which fits with the relative abundances of β‐alanine/glycine increasing with increasing aqueous alteration for CM chondrites. These results confirm the influence of aqueous alteration on the amino acid abundances and distribution. The amino acid analysis shows that the isovaline detected in this meteorite is racemic (d /l  = 0.99 ± 0.08; l ‐enantiomer excess = 0.35 ± 0.5%; corrected d /l  = 1.03; corrected l ‐enantiomer excess = ?1.4 ± 2.6%). The identified hydrocarbons show that Paris has n‐alkanes ranging from C₁₆ to C₂₅ and 3‐ to 5‐ring nonalkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The lack of alkylated PAHs in Paris seems to be also related to this low degree of aqueous alteration on its parent body. The extraterrestrial hydrocarbon content, suggested by the absence of any biomarker, may well have a presolar origin. The chemistry of the Paris meteorite may thus be closely related to the early stages of the solar nebula with a contribution from interstellar (molecular cloud) precursors.     

Near-IR spectral evolution of dusty starburst galaxies

We propose a multicomponent analysis of starburst galaxies, based on a model that takes into account the young and evolved stellar components and the gas emission, with their respective extinction, in the frame of a coherent dust distribution pattern. Near-IR signatures are preferentially investigated, in order to penetrate as deep as possible into the dusty starburst cores. We computed the 1.4-2.5 μm spectra of synthetic stellar populations evolving through strong, short timescale bursts of star formation (continuum and lines, R ? 500). The evolution model is specifically sensitive to cool stellar populations (AGB and red supergiant stars). It takes advantage of the stellar library of Lançon & Rocca-Volmerange (1992) [A&ASS, 96, 593], observed with the same instrument (FTS/CFHT) as the analysed galaxy sample, so that the instrumental effects are minimised. The main near-IR observable constraints are the molecular signatures of CO and H₂O and the slope of the continuum, observed over a range exceptionally broad for spectroscopic data. The H - K colour determined from the spectra measures the intrinsic stellar energy distribution but also differential extinction, which is further constrained by optical emission line ratios. Other observational constraints are the near-IR emission lines (Brγ, He I 2.06 μm, [Fe II] 1.64 μm, H₂ 2.12 μm) and the far-IR luminosity. The coherence of the results relies on the interpretation in terms of stellar populations from which all observable properties are derived, so that the link between the various wavelength ranges is secured. The luminosity L_K is used for the absolute calibration.We apply this approach to the typical spectrum of the core of NGC 1614. Consistent solutions for the starburst characteristics (star-formation rate, IMF, burst age, morphology) are found and the role of each observational constraint in deriving satisfactory models is extensively discussed. The acceptable contamination of the K band light by the underlying population amounts ≥ 15% even through a 5 arcsec aperture. The model leads to a limit on the direct absorption of Lyman continuum photons by dust situated inside the ionised areas, which in turn, with standard gas-to-dust ratios, translates into small characteristic sizes for the individual coexisting H II regions of the massive starburst area (clusters containing ∼ 10² ionising stars). We show that room is left for IMFs extending to 120 M_⊙, rather than truncated at ∼ 60 M_⊙ as most conservative studies conclude. High internal velocity dispersions (≥ 20 km s⁻¹) are then needed for the H II regions. An original feature of this work is to base the analysis of near-infrared spectral galaxy observations on a large wavelength range, using models constructed with spectral stellar data observed with the same instrument. However a broader use of this spectral evolution model on other spectral or photometric data samples is possible if the spectral resolution of the model is adapted to observations or if colours are derived from the energy distributions.Catherine J. Cesarsky     

Magnetic changes observed in the formation of two filaments in a complex active region: TRACE and MSDP observations

This paper is focused on the formation of two filaments in a complex center of decaying active regions (AR 8329 and AR 8326), located in the northern hemisphere. The observations were obtained in Hα by the Multi-channel Subtractive Double Pass spectrograph (MSDP mounted on the German telescope VTT in Tenerife) and EUV lines with TRACE (Transition Region And Corona Explorer). High Doppler shifts are found to be related to the ends of filament segments where canceling magnetic fields are also located (as seen on magnetograms from Big Bear Solar Observatory). At these locations, velocities along the line of sight, derived by using a cloud model method reach −20 km s⁻¹, the segments of filaments merge and frequently a time-related sub-flare is observed by TRACE. The chirality of the filament segments has been determined by different methods: the segments of dextral chirality join together and form a long dextral filament, and a single filament of sinistral chirality forms end to end with the dextral filament but does not merge with it. Assuming a model of twisted flux tube for filament material, we suggest that the dextral filament has negative helicity and a relationship between its formation and the close by sunspot with the same sign of helicity.