Structurally controlled gold and sulfosalt mineralization: the Altenberg example, Salzburg Province, Austria

Summary ?In the south-eastern Altenbergkar–Silbereck area in the eastern Tauern window (Lungau, Salzburg) structurally controlled precious-metal (Au–Ag) mineralization is hosted in marbles of the Permo(?)-Mesozoic Silbereck Formation and in the underlying Variscan Central gneiss. During the Alpine otogeny both lithologies were affected by ductile deformation (shearing, D1; folding, D2/D3) and subsequent brittle deformation (tension gashes, D4; normal faulting, D5) related to the uplift and exhumation of the Tauern window. Mineralization is controlled by brittle D4 structures. NE–SW trending steeply dipping tension gashes of the “Tauerngoldgang” type occur within the Central gneiss. Three different marble-hosted ore types following fracture systems as well as foliation and bedding planes can be distinguished: 1) metasomatic replacement ores, 2) ores in tension gashes and 3) ores in talc-bearing structures, often containing high-grade gold and silver mineralization (native gold in association with Ag–Pb–Bi–sulfosalts). Four stages of mineralization can be distinguished which occur in all ore types: arsenopyrite–pyrite–pyrrhotite (first stage), Au–(Ag–Pb–Bi–sulfosalts) (second stage), base-metal sulfides and tetrahedrite–tennantite (third stage) and Ag-rich galena (fourth stage). Preliminary fluid inclusion data indicate temperatures of ore formation well above 300 °C (346 °C mean) for the second stage within the Central gneiss and temperatures between 310 and 230 °C for the second and third stages in the marble. Received October 12, 2001; revised version accepted September 5, 2002 Published online March 10, 2003     

Richtmyer-Meshkov Experiments on the Omega Laser

Observations of the interstellar medium reveal a dynamic realm permeated by shocks. These shocks are generated on a large range of scales by galactic rotation, supernovae, stellar winds, and other processes. Whenever a shock encounters a density interface, Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities may develop. Perturbations along the interface grow, leading to structure formation and material mixing. An understanding of the evolution of Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities is essential for understanding galactic structure, molecular cloud morphology, and the early stages of star formation. An ongoing experimental campaign studies Richtmyer-Meshkov mixing in a convergent, compressible, miscible plasma at the Omega laser facility. Cylindrical targets, consisting of a low density foam core and an aluminum shell covered by an epoxy ablator, are directly driven by fifty laser beams. The aluminum shell is machined to produce different perturbation spectra. Surface types include unperturbed (smooth), single-mode sinusoids, multi-mode (rough), and multi-mode with particular modes accentuated (specified-rough). Experimental results are compared to theory and numerical simulations.     

Laboratory measurement of the OI1173989 Å branching ratio

Laboratory measurements of the $\text{OI}\text{1173}\text{989}$ Å (3s' ³D° → 2p⁴¹D, 3s' ³D° → 2p⁴³P) branching ratio have been made with a value of 1.5 × 10^t-4 indicated. This value makes the branching transition at 1173 Å an order of magnitude stronger than the branch at 7990 Å (3s' 3D° → 3p ³P). The 1173 Å branching loss is still too weak a loss process for multiply scattered 989 Å photons to resolve the 989 Å intensity problem in the dayglow.     

Pc1-2 Discrete regular daytime pulsation bursts at high latitudes

A family of related Pc1-2 (0.2–10 s) discrete daytime geomagnetic pulsations is presented using pulsation data obtained at Davis, Antarctica, a typical polar-cap station. The morphological properties of IPRP and Pclb pulsation regimes, which maximize in amplitude and frequency of occurrence under the projection of the polar cusp, are examined. Furthermore, two other variations of discrete pulsation bursts yet to be named are also presented, viz IPFP (Intervals of Pulsations with Falling Period) and IPAP (Intervals of Pulsations with Alternating Period) which are observed on rare occasions. It is also suggested that the Pc1b (0.2–5 s) should be extended to incorporate Pc2b (5–10 s) which from the results in this paper are physically the same phenomenon and could be collectively classified as IPCP (Intervals of Pulsations with Constant Period).     

The NAIAD experiment for WIMP searches at Boulby mine and recent results

The NAIAD experiment (NaI Advanced Detector) for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter searches at Boulby mine (UK) is described. The detector consists of an array of encapsulated and unencapsulated NaI(Tl) crystals with high light yield. Six crystals are collecting data at present. Data accumulated by four of them (10.6 kg × year exposure) have been used to set upper limits on the WIMP–nucleon spin-independent and WIMP–proton spin-dependent cross-sections. Pulse shape analysis has been applied to discriminate between nuclear recoils, as may be caused by WIMP interactions, and electron recoils due to gamma background. Various calibrations of crystals are presented.     

Galaxy formation: Warm dark matter, missing satellites, and the angular momentum problem

We present warm dark matter (WDM) as a possible solution to the missing satellites and angular momentum problem in galaxy formation and introduce improved initial conditions for numerical simulations of WDM models, which avoid the formation of unphysical haloes found in earlier simulations. There is a hint, that because of that the mass function of satellite haloes has been overestimated so far, pointing to higher values for the WDM particle mass. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Theoretical and experimental lifetime and oscillator strength determination in singly ionized neodymium (Nd ii)

Radiative lifetime measurements were performed with time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence techniques for 24 levels of Nd  ii in the energy range 20 500–32 500 cm⁻¹. For 17 levels, no previous experimental data exist. These results have allowed the testing of new theoretical calculations with the relativistic Hartree–Fock method taking configuration interactions and core-polarization effects into account, and a satisfying agreement has been found for this complex ion. A new set of calculated oscillator strengths, accurate within a few per cent for the strongest transitions, is presented for 107 lines of astrophysical interest appearing in the wavelength range 358.0–1100.0 nm. These results will be useful to evaluate abundance values of neodymium in chemically peculiar stars in relation with cosmochronology.