Accurate Determination of Electron Densities in Active and Quiescent Prominences: the Mid-Infrared Advantage

We have analyzed all lines in the MIR (8 to 20 micron) spectra of a quiescent and two time-frames of an active prominence. In the quiescent prominence, in addition to those lines found by Zirker (1985), we have identified a higher excitation hydrogen line and two helium recombination lines. Accounting for instrumental broadening, we can further separate out the Doppler and the Stark contributions to the line width. The former yields maximum temperatures of 6200 K, 34000 K and 12000 K and the latter electric field strengths of 7, 17, and 10 V cm^-1 for the above prominences, respectively. We show that these electric fields when divided by 2.2 are equal to the normal electric field in Holtsmark's quasi-static Stark broadening theory. Hence, we obtain electron densities of N₃=2.4(0.3), 9.1(1.2), and 5.5(0.6) in units of 10¹⁰ cm^-3 respectively. Using the same assumptions as made by Zirker, namely, (1) the strongest line (7-6) is optically thin, (2) the population of the lower level (n=6) is determined by direct radiative recombination and photo-ionization, (3) the equality of proton and electron densities, and (4) the thickness of the prominence is at least 10⁸ cm, we derive a new inequality, N_e 1.83 × 10⁸ T^0.75 e^-2195/T. Substituting our maximum temperatures into the right-hand side, we find upper bound N_e values of 9, 43, and 30 in the same units as above. These upper bound values are comfortably higher than our measurement, unlike those of Zirker's derived from the same set of assumptions. We have also observed the helium recombination spectrum which has been postulated by Tandberg-Hanssen as one of three possible ways of equilibrating the triplet/singlet ratio. Surprisingly, it is present in the quiescent as well as in the active prominence. We show that no meaningful values can be found for the turbulent velocities by combining the helium with the hydrogen line widths.     

Characteristics and tectonic setting of volcanic rocks in Early Cretaceous Baiyingaolao Formation of Keyouzhongqi area，Inner Mongolia

The authors studied zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating,the zircon Hf isotope and geochemistry of acidic volcanic rocks in Baiyingaolao Formation of Keyouzhongqi area,Inner Mongolia,and discussed the chronology, source region and tectonic setting of the volcanic rocks in the studied area． The clear oscillatory zoning of zir- cons indicates a typical magmatic origin,and the results of dating show that the volcanic rocks of Baiyingaolao Formation were formed in Early Cretaceous (121.5 ±1.0 Ma)． The features of major and trace elements show that the rocks are alkali-rich,poor in calcium and magnesium with enrichment in LILEs like Th,U,K and Gd and depletion in HFSEs,e.g. Nb,Ta,Sr and Ti． The fact implies that they were the products of partial melting of the crust． εHf(t) = ( +6.30--+9.06) and TDM2=600--835 Ma,suggest the magma originated from par- tial melting of the young crust． Combined with the evolution of regional tectonic structure,the authors conclude that the acidic volcanic rocks of Baiyingaolao Formation may be formed under the extensional environment relat- ed to the subduction of Paleo-Pacific Plate．     

Petrogenesis and tectonic setting of granite porphyry in Keyouzhongqi area,Inner Mongolia

The authors studied the geochemistry,zircon U-Pb ages,Hf isotope of the granite porphyry and its petrogenesis and tectonic setting in the studied area． The zircon U-Pb dating indicates the formation of the gran- ite porphyry is in Early Cretaceous (125． 1 ±1． 5 Ma)． The granite porphyry has high-SiO2and alkali-rich fea- tures,which belongs to high-K calc-alkaline series rocks (A/CNK = 0． 95%--1． 25%)． The analyses of trace elements show the characteristics of a swallow-shaped ＲEE distribution pattern with enrichment in LＲEEs and most of LILEs and HFSEs,depletion in Ba,Sr,Nb,P and Ti,and especially strong depletion in Eu,which indicates the granite porphyry belongs to the aluminous A-type granite． Their εHf(t)range from 5． 94 to 8． 80 with Hf two-stage model ages (TDM2) of 620 Ma to 803 Ma． Combining with the regional tectonic background, we conclude that the source of the rocks is the new crust materials accreted from depleted mantle in Neoprotero- zoic and is the product of partial melting of middle and lower crustal rocks,which may be suffered from the dual impact of the subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Ocean and the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean．     

Reservoir characteristics and main controlling factors of oil sand in Houba area,northwestern Sichuan Basin,China

Houba oil sand in frontier Longmenshan Mountain is one of the most typically important unconventional resources. The basic reservoir characteristics of oil sand and the main factors affecting reservoir quality were examined in this article based on porosity, permeability, and mercury porosimetry measurements; thin section analyses; SEM observation; and X-ray diffraction analysis. This study shows that the oil-bearing sandstone reservoir is mainly medium?coarse-grained sublitharenite and litharenite. The main pore type is intergranular pores, including residual primary intergranular pores, dissolved intergranular pores, and dissolved intragranular pores; fractures are common in this study area. The quality of sandstone reservoir is of high porosity and high permeability with a high oil saturation of 89.84 %. It is indicated that the main controlling factors of the reservoir in the study area include deposition, diagenesis, and tectonism. Deposition laid a foundation to porosity evolution, and channel sand is the most favorable depositional facies for the reservoir. Diagenetic alterations are the keys to reservoir evolution; dissolution and chlorite coatings cementation play an effective role in the generation and preservation of pores. Compaction, carbonate cementation, and quartz overgrowth cause many damages to the reservoir porosity. Fractures caused by structural breakages can improve the reservoir permeability and they also can provide fluid migration pathways to the late corrosion, which formed a lot of corroded fissures as reservoir and percolation spaces.     

西藏冈底斯南缘中新世含矿斑岩源区组成与成因

青藏高原南部中新世下地壳流动是当前大陆动力学研究的热点,关键科学问题是下地壳的流动方向。LA-ICP-MS定年结果表明冲江斑状黑云母二长花岗岩的形成时代为14.9~14.8 Ma,朱诺斑状花岗岩的形成时代为15.3~14.9 Ma。含矿埃达克质斑岩的特征如下:Si O2含量67.72%~74.49%,K2O含量2.85%~5.98%,Sr含量93~804μg/g,高Sr/Y(16~139)、(La/Yb)N(21~43)比值,Eu/Eu*值为0.6~0.91。冲江岩体锆石εHf(t)值为1.2~5.1,朱诺岩体锆石εHf(t)值为–6.9~–0.1,他们与徐旺春等报道的镁铁质麻粒岩的锆石Hf值(–2.5~4.8)具有很好的叠合性,暗示镁铁质麻粒岩(印度镁铁质下地壳)可以作为他们的岩浆源区。此外,Sr-Nd同位素表现出雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩和拉萨地块两个端元混合的特征,Pb同位素表现出雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩和喜马拉雅富集陆壳端元的特征。上述同位素地球化学特征表明,冈底斯中新世埃达克质斑岩的岩浆源区物质组成包括:拉萨陆壳、印度陆壳、雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩(地幔成分),表现出加厚下地壳部分熔融特征,暗示青藏高原南部由南向北的下地壳流动方向。     

钦-杭成矿带主要金属矿床成矿系列

钦-杭成矿带是华南地区最重要的Cu-Pb-Zn-Au、W-Sn-Bi-Mo和Fe-Mn-S多金属成矿带。在前人工作基础上,根据矿床的成因组合、形成构造环境及其随地质历史演化的特点,将钦-杭成矿带主要金属矿床归纳为中新元古代海底喷流沉积型铜多金属矿床、新元古代海相沉积-变质型铁锰矿床、古生代海相沉积-叠生改造型铜铅锌铁锰矿床、加里东期与花岗岩类有关的钨钼金银多金属矿床、印支期与花岗岩类有关的钨锡铌钽铀多金属矿床、燕山期与花岗岩类有关的铜铅锌金钨锡多金属矿床、与区域动力变质热液作用有关的金银矿床等7个矿床成矿系列。进而讨论了各成矿系列的主要矿床类型、矿床地质特征和时空分布规律,初步认为,中新元古代海底喷流沉积型块状硫化物铜多金属矿床与大陆边缘岛弧火山作用有关,主要分布于扬子陆块东南缘和华夏陆块西北缘古岛弧褶皱区;新元古代受变质铁锰矿床与大陆裂谷火山作用有关,并经受了后期区域变质、热变质作用的改造,主要分布于加里东期隆起区;古生代层控型铜铅锌铁锰矿床与海底热水沉积成矿作用有关,且不同程度地受到后期岩浆-热液活动的叠加改造,主要分布于海西—印支期坳陷区与隆起区的过渡部位;加里东期斑岩-夕卡岩-热液脉型钨钼金银多金属矿床与奥陶纪末—志留纪陆内造山作用有关,主要分布于加里东期隆起区;印支期斑岩-夕卡岩-热液脉型钨锡铌钽铀多金属矿床与印支板块向华南板块的俯冲碰撞有关,成矿作用发生在后碰撞伸展阶段,主要分布于海西—印支期隆起区边缘;燕山期斑岩-夕卡岩-热液脉型铜铅锌金钨锡多金属矿床与岩石圈伸展引起的玄武岩底侵作用有关,广泛分布于海西—印支期拗陷区或中生代盆地边缘;与区域动力变质热液作用有关的金银矿床成矿系列,与印支—燕山期大规模的逆冲推覆作用有关,主要发育于钦-杭结合带两侧古陆边缘。     

3.8-μm photometry during the secondary eclipse of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b

We report infrared photometry of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b during the time of secondary eclipse (planet passing behind the star). Observations were acquired during two secondary eclipses at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in 2003 September. We used a circular variable filter (1.5 per cent bandpass) centred at 3.8 μm to isolate the predicted flux peak of the planet at this wavelength. Residual telluric absorption and instrument variations were removed by offsetting the telescope to nearby bright comparison stars at a high temporal cadence. Our results give a secondary eclipse depth of 0.0013 ± 0.0011, not yet sufficient precision to detect the eclipse, whose expected depth is  ∼0.002 –0.003  . We here elucidate the current observational limitations to this technique, and discuss the approach needed to achieve detections of hot Jupiter secondary eclipses at 3.8 μm from the ground.     

Depth-related influences on biodegradation rates of phenanthrene in polluted marine sediments of Puget Sound, WA

A whole-core injection method was used to determine depth-related rates of microbial mineralization of (14)C-phenanthrene added to both contaminated and clean marine sediments of Puget Sound, WA. For 26-day incubations under micro-aerobic conditions, conversions of (14)C-phenanthrene to (14)CO(2) in heavily PAH-contaminated sediments from two sites in Eagle Harbor were much higher (up to 30%) than those in clean sediments from nearby Blakely Harbor (<3%). The averaged (14)C-phenanthrene degradation rates in the surface sediment horizons (0-3 cm) were more rapid (2-3 times) than in the deeper sediment horizons examined (>6 cm), especially in the most PAH polluted EH9 site. Differences in mineralization were associated with properties of the sediments as a function of sediment depth, including grain-size distribution, PAH concentration, total organic matter and total bacterial abundance. When strictly anaerobic incubations (in N(2)/H(2)/CO(2) atmosphere) were used, the phenanthrene biodegradation rates at all sediment depths were two times slower than under micro-aerobic conditions, with methanogenesis observed after 24 days. The main rate-limiting factor for phenanthrene degradation under anaerobic conditions appeared to be the availability of suitable electron acceptors. Addition of calcium sulfate enhanced the first order rate coefficient (k(1) increased from 0.003 to 0.006 day(-1)), whereas addition of soluble nitrate, even at very low concentration (<0.5 mM), inhibited mineralization. Long-term storage of heavily polluted Eagle Harbor sediment as intact cores under micro-aerobic conditions also appeared to enhance anaerobic biodegradation rates (k(1) up to 0.11 day(-1)).     

区域环境系统集成模式对1997/1998年夏季中国两个极端气候事件模拟能力分析

区域环境系统集成模式(RIEMS2.0,Regional Integrated Environment Modeling System Version 2.0)是由中国科学院大气物理研究所东亚区域气候环境重点实验室在RIEMS1.0基础上发展的区域气候模式。为了检验RIEMS2.0对短期气候的模拟能力,利用降水和气温(2 m)观测资料检验RIESM2.0不同物理过程和初始条件集合模拟1997/1998年夏季中国华北地区高温干旱和长江流域洪涝两个连续极端气候事件的能力(连续积分时间(1997年3月1日—1998年8月31日)共18个月),比较模拟和观测的1997/1998年夏季降水和气温。集合模拟结果表明RIEMS2.0能很好模拟1997/1998年夏季降水和气温及其两年差值分布;模拟和观测的日降水和平均气温结果有很好的相关性,但是降水模拟总体高估,干旱和江淮及江南区气温模拟偏高而半干旱和湿润区气温模拟偏低。在不同物理过程集合模拟中,虽然集合平均距平相关系数(ACC)和均方根误差(RMSE)并不是优于所有集合成员值,但集合模拟能减小模式的不确定性,在一定程度上提高模拟精度。不同显式水汽方案和积云参数化方案对降水、气温模拟效果表现出很好的一致性,湿润区一致性最好。因此,RIEMS2.0模拟能揭示1997/1998年两个连续极端气候事件夏季降水和气温空间分布,反映不同子区域降水和气温分布特征,各集合成员的模拟结果存在差异的同时也保持了很好的稳定性,选择合适的物理过程可以提高模式对区域气候的模拟能力。