The formation of the first luminous objects in the universe

Paramount among the processes that ended the cosmic dark ages must have been the emergence of a first generation of stars. I review recent results on their formation out of metal-free gas, and discuss related open questions that still defy our understanding. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparison of bulk kinetic parameters for asphaltenes from long-time stored and related fresher-produced crude oils

Two investigated long-time stored oils, which were produced in the 1960s, show strong compositional changes compared to fresher oil samples from the same well and production zones. Asphaltenes isolated from stored and fresher-produced oil pairs show highly similar results from open-system pyrolysis. However, asphaltenes from long-time stored oils show higher reactivity compared to those from fresher oils. The study shows that differences exist in kinetic models based on asphaltenes from fresh-produced oil and those based on oil that has undergone long-term storage, and that these differences may impact geological predictions using such models. Factors controlling the chemical differences between stored and fresher asphaltenes are unclear and hard to determine, because of a broad range of factors controlling compositional differences between these oil pairs. The difference in chemical kinetics might be related to chemical storage effects, but different well-site sampling techniques between decades, or even incomplete homogenization of the long-time stored oils in barrels before sampling may also have an impact.     

Detecting thermal anomalies within the Molasse Basin, southern Germany

The groundwater flow regime at great depth within the Molasse Basin (SW Germany) was studied. Data relevant for a flow model at 600–1,600 m depth are sparse in the western part of the basin. However, temperature measurements are available covering much of the area at a wide range of depths. Therefore, a thermal 3D steady-state model was set up with the aim of comparing modeled with observed subsurface temperatures. Stratigraphic information from many boreholes was also available, but only a few values of rock thermal conductivity and heat-production rate could be obtained. Some strong thermal residual anomalies were identified with respect to the purely conductive model, especially along fault zones, and within stratigraphic layers with high hydraulic conductivity. These anomalies can be explained by various advective heat-transport mechanisms, yet most explanations can be eliminated. The most plausible constellation explaining the major positive thermal anomalies of 10 Kelvin and more is a fault zone of E–W strike, intersected by an aquifer with flow parallel to the fault zone. This concept was investigated by using a simplified type model. In spite of some shortcomings, the method presented here can be used to identify temperature anomalies, and to identify possible explanations.     

Reconstruction of paleovegetation and paleoclimate in the Early and Middle Eocene, Hainan Island, China

The Early–Middle Eocene palynoflora and paleoclimate of Changchang Basin, Hainan Island, South China, is described in the present paper and is compared with that of the Middle–Late Eocene, Hunchun City, Jilin Province, North China. The nearest living relatives (NLRs) of the recovered palynotaxa suggest a subtropical evergreen or deciduous broad-leaved forest at the center of the basin but a temperate evergreen or deciduous broad-leaved forest and needle-leaved forest growing in the peripheral part of the basin. Based on the climatic preferences of the NLRs, the climate in the Changchang Basin during the Early–Middle Eocene was warm and humid subtropical with a mean annual temperature of 14.2–19.8°C, a mean temperature of the warmest month of 22.5–29.1°C, a mean temperature of the coldest month of 1.7–11.9°C, a difference of temperature between coldest and warmest months of 12.1–24.6°C, a mean annual precipitation of 784.7–1,113.3 mm, a mean maximum monthly precipitation of 141.5–268.1 mm and a mean minimum monthly precipitation of 6.9–14.1 mm. A comparison of the palynoflora and paleoclimate between the Changchang Basin and Hunchun City, suggests essentially a similar climate in South and North China during Eocene time in contrast to the oceanic tropical climate in South China and cool dry temperate climate in North China as at present.