A dipolar vortex model for the obscuring tori in active galactic nuclei

Motivated by currently available direct observations of occulting tori in Seyfert galaxies and ongoing discussions about tori as important structural components in Active Galactic Nuclei, we discuss the possibility that the “spinning up” of a torus by radiation or winds could transform it into a dipolar toroidal vortex. The vortex motion balances the torus’ self-gravitation, and can explain the existence of cool, thick tori inferred from observations. In turn, the toroidal vortex can be a source of matter to feed the accretion disk. The resulting instability could result in flares accompanied by the ejection of matter. Our numerical estimates of the model parameters for luminosities close to the Eddington limit are consistent with the observational data.     

Mercury in the sedimentary deposits of Lake Baikal

Mercury distribution was examined in the sediments of Lake Baikal that were sampled within the scope of the Baikal Drilling International Project in 1996–1999. The Hg concentrations in the ancient sediments are close to those in the modern sediments with the exception of a few peak values, whose ages coincide with those of active volcanism in adjacent areas. Mercury was demonstrated to be contained in the sediments in the adsorbed Hg⁰ mode, predominantly in relation with organic matter. When the organic matter of the bottom sediments is decomposed in the course of lithification, Hg is retained in the sediments adsorbed on the residual organic matter, and the concentration of this element corresponds to its initial content in the bottom sediments during their accumulation. Mercury concentrations in lithologically distinct bottom sediments of Lake Baikal and its sediments as a whole depend on the climate. Sediments that were formed during warm periods of time contain more Hg than those produced during cold periods or glaciation. Periodical variations in the Hg concentrations in the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal reflect the variations in the contents of this element in the Earth’s atmosphere in the Late Cenozoic, which were, in turn, controlled by the climatic variations on the planet and, thus, can be used for detailed reconstructions of variations in the average global temperature near the planet’s surface.     

Relationships between the chemical and isotopic (Sr,Nd, Hf,and Pb) heterogeneity of the mantle

The reasons for the isotopic heterogeneity of the mantle are analyzed in this paper on the basis of published isotopic data. It was shown that the observed variations in the Sr, Nd, Hf, and Pb isotopic compositions of oceanic basalts cannot be explained by mixing of a finite number of homogeneous reservoirs (components). The considerable variations in the contents of Rb, Sr, Sm, Nd, Lu, Hf, U, Th, and Pb and ratios of these and other trace elements in tholeiitic basalts indicate that the chemical heterogeneity of mantle-derived rocks is inherited in part from their sources. Oceanic tholeiitic basalts show a tight correlation between the variances of Nd, Hf, Sr, and Pb isotopic ratios and the variances of respective radiogenic additions that could be accumulated in these rocks over a time period of 〈t〉 = 1.8 Gyr. This paradox clearly indicates that variations in all the mentioned isotopic systems in the mantle cannot be understood without the analysis of the geochemical heterogeneity of rocks.The close to lognormal distributions of lithophile trace elements in oceanic tholeiitic basalts and the character of correlations between them suggest that magmatic differentiation was the major mechanism of the formation of chemical heterogeneity in the mantle. The role of metasomatism in the global transport of trace elements and formation of the geochemically heterogeneous mantle is probably rather limited. Intrusive processes within the mantle could result in the development of chemical and, after a period of time, isotopic anomalies in the mantle. Simple calculations show that long-lived geochemical anomalies related to alkaline magmatism could be responsible for EM-I type isotopic anomalies, and geochemical anomalies produced in the mantle by enriched tholeiitic melts could be sources of EM-II type isotopic anomalies. The analysis of the distribution of the isotopic compositions of mantle-derived igneous rocks in various “isochron” coordinates suggested that the formation of geochemical anomalies in the mantle is a long-term process lasting for hundreds of millions of years. Nonetheless, trends approaching 4.5 Ga were never observed in such diagrams, i.e., the mantle is in general rejuvenated in all isotopic systems. Both on global and local scales, there are no mantle domains that have remained geochemically closed and isolated since the Earth’s formation. The entire mantle is involved in material exchange processes.The development of isotopic systems in the mantle was explored by means of statistical modeling accounting for the tendency of a continuous increase in the chemical heterogeneity of the mantle source and the tendency of obliteration of the isotopic heterogeneity owing to the convective mixing in the mantle. The modeling demonstrated that the character of the isotopic heterogeneity of the mantle is statistically consistent with the character of its chemical heterogeneity. The mantle isotopic anomalies HIMU, EM-I, and EM-II were generated by two simultaneous processes: the magmatic differentiation of mantle material and its not very efficient mixing.     

The dynamics of the shock disruption of interstellar clouds

The effect of the structural irregularity of an interstellar cloud on the dynamics of its disruption by a shock from a supernova is studied. Irregular clouds are disrupted twice as fast as spherical clouds. However, fragments of irregular clouds preserve their enhanced density for long times without being mixed with the intercloud gas. The fraction of shock energy that is converted to the kinetic energy of the fragments is 50% higher than in the disruption of a spherical cloud. Shocks are not able to trigger the gravitational compression of clouds.