Two chondrule groups each with distinctive rims in Murchison recognized by cathodoluminescence

Abstract— Two groups of chondrules in the Murchison CM chondrite, which have previously been identified on the basis of FeO in the chondrule grains, are readily identified from cathodoluminescence (CL) and belong to those of the ordinary chondrite group A and B chondrules of Sears et al. (1992a). All chondrules are surrounded by fine-grained rims containing forsterite with bright red CL, but on group A chondrules an outer thin rim grades into a much thicker rim, with a lower density of forsterite grains, which in turn grades into the central chondrule. Group B chondrules have only the thin outer rim with a high density of small forsterite grains. This is the first time an unequivocal correlation has been observed between chondrule rim thickness and the composition of the object on which the rim is located. We suggest that while all objects in the meteorite (group B chondrules, refractory inclusions, mineral and chondrule fragments, clasts) acquired a very thin rim during processing in a wet regolith, the thick rims on group A chondrules were formed by aqueous alteration of precursor metal- and sulfide-rich rims which are a characteristic of group A chondrules in ordinary chondrites.     

The chemistry of star formation

Understanding the chemistry of molecular clouds is now realized to be fundamental to our understanding of the whole star-formation process. A two-day meeting was held within NAM2002 to bring together chemists and astronomers to discuss this complex subject. Derek Ward-Thompson, Helen Fraser and Jonathan Rawlings report.  

     

Coral bleaching indices and thresholds for the Florida Reef Tract, Bahamas, and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

It is well established that elevated sea temperatures cause widespread coral bleaching, yet confusion lingers as to what facet of extreme temperatures is most important. Utilizing long-term in situ datasets, we calculated nine thermal stress indices and tested their effectiveness at segregating bleaching years a posteriori for multiple reefs on the Florida Reef Tract. The indices examined represent three aspects of thermal stress: (1) short-term, acute temperature stress; (2) cumulative temperature stress; and (3) temperature variability. Maximum monthly sea surface temperature (SST) and the number of days >30.5 °C were the most significant; indicating that cumulative exposure to temperature extremes characterized bleaching years. Bleaching thresholds were warmer for Florida than the Bahamas and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands reflecting differences in seasonal maximum SST. Hind-casts showed that monthly mean SST above a local threshold explained all bleaching years in Florida, the Bahamas, and US Virgin Islands.     

Cross-border movement and the dynamics of transition processes in Southeastern Europe

This paper attempts to provide an evaluation of cross-border movement - short-term, long-term and permanent - in southeastern Europe, identifying the functions of such movement in relation to ongoing restructuring processes. It also suggests a range of theoretical frameworks appropriate for further research in this area. While refugee flight and permanent displacement have resulted from some of the more pernicious and explicit processes of reinvigorated nationalism in the region, patterns of petty and larger scale trading, labour and education migration, leisure mobility and tourism, better reflect the differential impact of local, regional and global push and pull factors and the new configurations of national boundaries and neighbourly relations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Reflections on the place of Larkin

Summary The close association of the poet Larkin with the city of Hull has induced references to Larkinland, though commercial exploitation of this concept is very limited. This paper examines Larkin's sense of place and explores his relationship with Hull and its environs. In drawing on his own personal landscapes, Larkin intermittently involves the reader in the pleasure of recognition. For the inhabitant of Hull, some poems have added value. 'Here' paints an evocative picture of Hull in the 1950s, but also links to the interpretation of Larkin as the poet of provincial England. However, Larkinland, either as Hull or as provincial mid-century England, has a slender basis.     

Plasma and Electromagnetic Simulations of Meteor Head Echo Radar Reflections

Recently, meteor head echo detections from high powered large aperture radars (HPLA) have brought new measurements to bear on the study of sporadic interplanetary meteors. These same observations have demonstrated an ability to observe smaller meteoroids without some of the geometrical restrictions of specular radar techniques. Yet incorporating data from various radar reflection types and from different radars into a single consistent model has proven challenging. We believe this arises due to poorly understood radio scattering characteristics of the meteor plasma, especially in light of recent work showing that plasma turbulence and instability greatly influences meteor trail properties at every stage of evolution. In order to overcome some of the unknown relationships between meteoroid characteristics (such as mass and velocity) and the resulting head echo radar cross-sections (RCS), we present our results on meteor plasma simulations of head echo plasmas using particle in cell (PIC) ions, which show that electric fields strongly influence early stage meteor plasma evolution, by accelerating ions away from the meteoroid body at speeds as large as several kilometers per second. We also present the results of finite difference time domain electromagnetic simulations (FDTD), which can calculate the radar cross-section of the simulated meteor plasma electron distributions. These simulations have shown that the radar cross-section depends in a complex manner on a number of parameters. In this paper we demonstrate that for a given head echo plasma the RCS as a function of radar frequency peaks at sqrt (2*peak plasma frequency) and then decays linearly on a dB scale with increasing radar frequency. We also demonstrate that for a fixed radar frequency, the RCS increases linearly on a dB scale with increasing head echo plasma frequency. These simulations and resulting characterization of the head echo radar cross-section will both help relate HPLA radar observations to meteoroid properties and aid in determining a particular radar facility’s ability to observe various meteoroid populations.     

The PCRaster Software and Course Materials for Teaching Numerical Modelling in the Environmental Sciences

Teaching numerical modelling in the environmental sciences not only needs good software and course material but also an understanding of how to program the models in the computer. Conventional environmental modelling procedures require computer science and programming skills, which may detract from the important understanding of the environmental processes involved. An alternative strategy is to build a generic toolkit or modelling language that operates with concepts and operations that are familiar to the environmental scientist. PCRaster is such a spatio-temporal environmental modelling language developed at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. It is used for teaching modelling in classrooms and over the Web (distance learning) at three levels: (1) explaining environmental processes and models, where models with a fixed structure of model equations are evaluated by changing model parameters, (2) teaching model construction, where students learn to program spatial and temporal models with the language, and (3) teaching all phases of scientific modelling related to field research. So far, we have received positive responses to these courses, largely because the software provides a set of easily learned functions matching the conceptual thought processes of a geoscientist that can be used at all levels of teaching.