Dynamical zodiacal cloud models constrained by high resolution spectroscopy of the zodiacal light

The simulated Doppler shifts of the solar Mg I Fraunhofer line produced by scattering on the solar light by asteroidal, cometary, and trans-neptunian dust particles are compared with the shifts obtained by Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM) spectrometer. The simulated spectra are based on the results of integrations of the orbital evolution of particles under the gravitational influence of planets, the Poynting-Robertson drag, radiation pressure, and solar wind drag. Our results demonstrate that the differences in the line centroid position in the solar elongation and in the line width averaged over the elongations for different sizes of particles are usually less than those for different sources of dust. The deviation of the derived spectral parameters for various sources of dust used in the model reached maximum at the elongation (measured eastward from the Sun) between 90° and 120°. For the future zodiacal light Doppler shifts measurements, it is important to pay a particular attention to observing at this elongation range. At the elongations of the fields observed by WHAM, the model-predicted Doppler shifts were close to each other for several scattering functions considered. Therefore the main conclusions of our paper do not depend on a scattering function and mass distribution of particles if they are reasonable. A comparison of the dependencies of the Doppler shifts on solar elongation and the mean width of the Mg I line modeled for different sources of dust with those obtained from the WHAM observations shows that the fraction of cometary particles in zodiacal dust is significant and can be dominant. Cometary particles originating inside Jupiter's orbit and particles originating beyond Jupiter's orbit (including trans-neptunian dust particles) can contribute to zodiacal dust about 1/3 each, with a possible deviation from 1/3 up to 0.1-0.2. The fraction of asteroidal dust is estimated to be ∼0.3-0.5. The mean eccentricities of zodiacal particles located at 1-2 AU from the Sun that better fit the WHAM observations are between 0.2 and 0.5, with a more probable value of about 0.3.     

Mineralogical and chemical modification of components in CV3 chondrites: Nebular or asteroidal processing?

Abstract— Calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), chondrules, dark inclusions and matrices in certain CV3 carbonaceous chondrites appear to have been modified by different degrees of late-stage alteration processes that caused significant variations in mineralogy and chemistry. Some chondrules and CAIs are rimmed with fayalitic olivine. Metal in all components may be oxidized and sulphidized to magnetite, Ni-rich metal and sulfides. Silicates in all components are aqueously altered to different degrees to phyllosilicates. Primary minerals in some CAIs experienced Fe-alkali-halogen metasomatism forming nepheline, sodalite, wollastonite, hedenbergite and other secondary minerals. In CV3 chondrites with metasomatized CAIs, nepheline, sodalite, etc. are also present in chondrule mesostases and in matrices. McSween's (1977b) reduced subgroup of CV3 chondrites generally shows minimal alteration of all components and may represent the unaltered precursors for the oxidized CV3 chondrites, which generally show major alteration. Most studies have been focused on specific components in CV3 chondrites and have not considered possible relationships between alteration processes. We infer from the correlated occurrences of the alteration features that they were closely related in time and space and review nebular and asteroidal models for their origins. We prefer an asteroidal model.     

Measuring the level of interstellar inheritance in the solar protoplanetary disk

The timing and extent to which the initial interstellar material was thermally processed provide fundamental constraints for models of the formation and early evolution of the solar protoplanetary disk. We argue that the nonsolar (solar Δ¹⁷O ≈ ?29‰) and near‐terrestrial (Δ¹⁷O ≈ 0‰) O‐isotopic compositions of the Earth and most extraterrestrial materials (Moon, Mars, asteroids, and comet dust) were established very early by heating of regions of the disk that were modestly enriched (dust/gas ≥ 5–10 times solar) in primordial silicates (Δ¹⁷O ≈ ?29‰) and water‐dominated ice (Δ¹⁷O ≈ 24‰) relative to the gas. Such modest enrichments could be achieved by grain growth and settling of dust to the midplane in regions where the levels of turbulence were modest. The episodic heating of the disk associated with FU Orionis outbursts were the likely causes of this early thermal processing of dust. We also estimate that at the time of accretion the CI chondrite and interplanetary dust particle parent bodies were composed of ~5–10% of pristine interstellar material. The matrices of all chondrites included roughly similar interstellar fractions. Whether this interstellar material avoided the thermal processing experienced by most dust during FU Orionis outbursts or was accreted by the disk after the outbursts ceased to be important remains to be established.     

Climatic and geographic patterns of river runoff formation in Northern Eurasia

Siberian rivers are of global importance as they impact on the freshwater budget of the Arctic Ocean, which affects the Thermo-Haline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Siberian rivers, in particular the tributaries to the larger rivers, are under-represented in the international river-regime databases. The runoff of three Russian rivers in the Central Siberian taiga (Kureyka, Karabula and Erba) is modelled to analyse the relative influence of climate. In addition three rivers (Rhine, Maas and Odra) in Western Europe are similarly assessed as a control. The results show that the role of precipitation and autocorrelation as factors in the formation of river runoff is stronger under oceanic climate conditions, increasing from the central regions of Northern Eurasia towards the Arctic Ocean in the North and the Atlantic in the West. At the same time the influence of summer temperatures is weakened. The formation of Northern Eurasian river runoff appears to be influenced by periodically thawing top horizons of permafrost soil. Time served as an indicator for land use change after inclusion of meteorological data in the models. Maas and Erba showed a significant influence of the time factor. For the Erba the onset of agricultural land use in the catchment coincides with a drop in runoff. A similar causal relationship is suggested for the Maas. Land use can change the formation of runoff, which in turn can be used as an environmental indicator for sustainable land use.     

Extension of a fluctuating plume model of tracer dispersion to a sheared boundary layer and to a large array of obstacles

Fluctuating plume models provide a useful conceptual paradigm in the understanding of plume dispersion in a turbulent flow. In particular, these models have enabled analytical predictions of higher-order concentration moments, and the form of the one-point concentration probability density function (PDF). In this paper, we extend the traditional formalism of these models, grounded in the theory of homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flow, to two cases: namely, a simple sheared boundary layer and a large array of regular obstacles. Some very high-resolution measurements of plume dispersion in a water channel, obtained using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) line-scan techniques are utilised. These data enable us to extract time series of plume centroid position (plume meander) and dispersion in the relative frame of reference in unprecedented detail. Consequently, experimentally extracted PDFs are able to be directly compared with various theoretical forms proposed in the literature. This includes the PDF of plume centroid motion, the PDF of concentration in the relative frame, and a variety of concentration moments in the absolute and relative frames of reference. The analysis confirms the accuracy of some previously proposed functional forms of model components used in fluctuating plume models, as well as suggesting some new forms necessary to deal with the complex boundary conditions in the spatial domain.     

Degassing of primordial major energy source for hydrogen and helium as the internal terrestrial processes

Examples of the mightiest energy releases by great earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and hypotheses providing explanations for them are analyzed along with the results of some recently published researches and visualizations.The emerging conclusions are that the mechanism of the strong earthquake is a chemical explosion;that volcanic eruption is a special type of earthquake wherein the hypocenter rises to the earth-surface;and that there is an association between the seismic-volcanic processes and mantle "fluids" and the lack of energy for mantle plumes.A conceptual system of hypotheses is put forward to explain the conservation of energy during Earth’s accretion,its quasi-stable release by primordial H- and He-degassing and of the crucial role of the energy of degassing-comprisingreactions in endogenic processes.Specific mechanisms and chemical processes are proposed for the gas-liquid mantle plumes melting through the solid mantle using heat-energy released in reactions of their metamorphic and chemical transformation under gradual decrease of pressure and temperature;volcanic gases are put forward as energy carriers.He performance as a unique measuring transformer correlative to the internal heat flow was used for calculation of energy release by degassing;it equals to 5.12×10²⁰ J/yr.an amount of energy five-fold greater than the entire energy loss involved in earthquake and volcanic activity.The hypotheses proposed are objectively testable.     

Novel solvent systems for in situ extraterrestrial sample analysis

The life marker chip (LMC) is being designed to test for the chemical signature of life in the soil and rocks of Mars. It will use an antibody array as part of its detection and characterisation system and aims to detect both polar and non-polar molecules at the sub-ppm to tens of ppb level. It is necessary to use a solvent to transfer organic compounds from the Martian samples to the LMC itself, but organic solvents such as dichloromethane or hexane, commonly used to dissolve non-polar molecules, are incompatible with the LMC antibodies. Hence, an aqueous-based solvent capable of dissolving the biomarkers that might exist in the soil or rocks of Mars is required. Solvent extractions of a Martian soil analogue, JSC Mars-1, spiked with a range of standards show that a 20:80 (vol:vol) mixture of methanol and water is incapable of extracting compounds insoluble in water. However, addition of 1.5 mg ml⁻¹ of the surfactant polysorbate 80 produces extraction efficiencies of the aliphatic standards, hexadecane and phytane, equal to 25-30% of those produced by the common organic solvent mixture 93:7 (vol:vol) dichloromethane:methanol. Extraction of squalene and stigmasterol using the polysorbate solution is less efficient but still successful, at 5-10% of the efficiency of 93:7 dichloromethane:methanol. Such aliphatic compounds with occasional functional groups represent the compound classes to which most fossil organic biomarkers belong. The polysorbate solution did not extract the aromatic compounds pyrene and anthracene with great efficiency. A solvent of 20:80 methanol:water with 1.5 mg ml⁻¹ polysorbate 80 is therefore capable of selectively extracting aliphatic biomarkers from Martian samples and transferring them to the antibody sites on the life marker chip.     

Mid and late holocene diatoms from ‘Water Supply Lake’, Baffin Island,N.W.T., Canada

Diatom analyses from a 40 cm sediment core from Water Supply Lake, northeastern Baffin Island, reveal 67 taxa of primarily benthic forms, strongly dominated by small Fragilaria spp. No major stratigraphic changes are noted in the diatom floral record, which encompasses the last 7000 years. In the uppermost 2 cm, there are increases in: a) F. virescens var. subsalina, b) the ratio of symmetric: asymmetric valves of F. construens, and c) species richness. These are interpreted as reflecting anthropogenic modifications of the lake (chlorination and deepening) associated with its use as a source of water for the community of Pond Inlet since 1979.