Crystallization of chromite from nickel-iron sulphide melts

An experiment, in which an iron-nickel-copper sulphide melt was heated with synthetic chromite and then cooled, showed that substantial quantities of chromite had dissolved in the melt and had then recrystallized as euhedral crystals rimmed with magnetite. This experiment suggests that the unusual chromite (low in Mg and Al) which is associated with the sulphide phase in Western Australian nickel ores may have formed in a similar way.J.M.R. carried out the experimental part of this investigation as a post-graduate student at Flinders University, South Australia, working under a CSIRO extramural grant.     

Lunar sample 15405: Remnant of a KREEP basalt-granite differentiated pluton

Large, coarse-grained fragments of granite, containing plagioclase, a silica polymorph, potash feldspar, and exsolved pyroxene, with minor ilmenite, a phosphate, Fe-metal, and troilite, occur in sample 15405. A similar coarse-grained clast type (KREEP-rich quartz-monzodiorite) has a similar mineralogy but contains more ilmenite, large phosphates, less silica, and lacks troilite. One unusual KREEPy olivine vitrophyre fragment is also present. All the other fragments in 15405 are of Apollo 15-type KREEP basalt; ANT-suite and breccia fragments are conspicuously absent. The groundmass of 15405, of a KREEP basalt composition, is vesicular with a variolitic texture and is interpreted as an impact melt. Except for the olivine vitrophyre, the fragments are believed to be the remnants of a shallow-level KREEP basalt-granite differentiated pluton, in which granite was produced as the residual liquid without involvement of immiscibility effects.The large amount of melt required to produce the pluton, and the retention of the pluton's integrity from crystallization until the formation of the source boulder of 15405 suggest that KREEP basalt magma is not ancient (～4.3 b.y.), but was produced by the partial melting of the interior of the moon at around 3.90–3.95 b.y.; this conclusion is supported by the presence of KREEP basalt in soil breccia 15205, to the exclusion of other highland rock types. If this interpretation is correct, the source of Apollo 15-type KREEP basalt had a Rb/Sr ratio higher than anorthositic norite, commonly proposed as the source rock.     

A rationale for the origins of massif anorthosites

The origin of massif anorthosites cannot be simply explained by a single magma type. Two of the commonly proposed parents for anorthosites are andesites (quartz-diorites) and high-alumina basalts. It is proposed here that these two magmas are the parents for two groups of anorthosites which include all anorthosite massifs, and that the parents for any given anorthosite massif can be determined by the rock sequence associated with the massif.Evidence from experiments and from phenocrysts in volcanics, suggests that andesites crystallizing in the granulite facies would produce plagioclase cumulates (anorthosites) at the base, followed by dioritic and acidic material, whereas high-alumina basalts would produce gabbros followed by anorthosite with very little succeeding acidic material. All massif anorthosites for which relevant data is available have one or the other of these stratigraphic sequences. Grouped according to these sequences, they coincide with two previously proposed groups, i.e. Andesine-type and Labradorite-type, whose characteristics are shown to be compatible with derivation from andesite and high-alumina basalt, respectively.     

WASP-1b and WASP-2b: two new transiting exoplanets detected with SuperWASP and SOPHIE

We have detected low-amplitude radial-velocity variations in two stars, USNO-B1.0 1219–0005465 (GSC  02265–00107 = WASP–1  ) and USNO-B1.0 0964–0543604 (GSC  00522–01199 = WASP–2  ). Both stars were identified as being likely host stars of transiting exoplanets in the 2004 SuperWASP wide-field transit survey. Using the newly commissioned radial-velocity spectrograph SOPHIE at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, we found that both objects exhibit reflex orbital radial-velocity variations with amplitudes characteristic of planetary-mass companions and in-phase with the photometric orbits. Line-bisector studies rule out faint blended binaries as the cause of either the radial-velocity variations or the transits. We perform preliminary spectral analyses of the host stars, which together with their radial-velocity variations and fits to the transit light curves yield estimates of the planetary masses and radii. WASP-1b and WASP-2b have orbital periods of 2.52 and 2.15 d, respectively. Given mass estimates for their F7V and K1V primaries, we derive planet masses 0.80–0.98 and 0.81–0.95 times that of Jupiter, respectively. WASP-1b appears to have an inflated radius of at least 1.33 R _Jup, whereas WASP-2b has a radius in the range 0.65–1.26 R _Jup.     

Linking Remote-Sensing and <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Observations of Coronal Mass Ejections Using STEREO

The twin STEREO spacecraft have been observing the Sun since 2006. Even though STEREO has only been active during solar minimum conditions so far, an important number of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts (ICMEs) have been observed. Many of the ICMEs can be linked back to the corresponding CMEs on the Sun through the combination of remote-sensing and in situ observations. This paper aims to answer the question whether a CME observed by a coronagraph will be detected in situ by a spacecraft in a specific location in the heliosphere. We use a flux-rope-like model fit to the STEREO SECCHI/COR2 data to obtain the direction of CME propagation and its geometrical configuration in three dimensions. Based on model parameters, we then calculate their angular widths and determine whether they should have been detected by STEREO-A, STEREO-B, Wind or ACE. We compare the results with corresponding in situ observations of ICMEs. We find that predictions of ICME detections on the base of COR2 data generally match well the actual in situ observations.     

Distribution and interplay of geologic processes on Titan from Cassini radar data

The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper is providing an unprecedented view of Titan’s surface geology. Here we use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image swaths (Ta-T30) obtained from October 2004 to December 2007 to infer the geologic processes that have shaped Titan’s surface. These SAR swaths cover about 20% of the surface, at a spatial resolution ranging from ∼350 m to ∼2 km. The SAR data are distributed over a wide latitudinal and longitudinal range, enabling some conclusions to be drawn about the global distribution of processes. They reveal a geologically complex surface that has been modified by all the major geologic processes seen on Earth - volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, and erosion and deposition by fluvial and aeolian activity. In this paper, we map geomorphological units from SAR data and analyze their areal distribution and relative ages of modification in order to infer the geologic evolution of Titan’s surface. We find that dunes and hummocky and mountainous terrains are more widespread than lakes, putative cryovolcanic features, mottled plains, and craters and crateriform structures that may be due to impact. Undifferentiated plains are the largest areal unit; their origin is uncertain. In terms of latitudinal distribution, dunes and hummocky and mountainous terrains are located mostly at low latitudes (less than 30°), with no dunes being present above 60°. Channels formed by fluvial activity are present at all latitudes, but lakes are at high latitudes only. Crateriform structures that may have been formed by impact appear to be uniformly distributed with latitude, but the well-preserved impact craters are all located at low latitudes, possibly indicating that more resurfacing has occurred at higher latitudes. Cryovolcanic features are not ubiquitous, and are mostly located between 30° and 60° north. We examine temporal relationships between units wherever possible, and conclude that aeolian and fluvial/pluvial/lacustrine processes are the most recent, while tectonic processes that led to the formation of mountains and Xanadu are likely the most ancient.     

Potential martian mineral resources: Mechanisms and terrestrial analogues

The future exploration of Mars is likely to utilize resources that can be extracted in situ. An overview of the geology of Mars has been presented and several mechanisms that could result in the formation of ore deposits have been identified. These include deposits caused by hydrothermal fluids resulting from volcanic activity, large igneous province formation and impact craters. Surface enrichment of mineral sand deposits is also discussed. Where appropriate, terrestrial analogues of these mechanisms have been discussed and supporting evidence from observations of Mars undertaken to date presented. Types of deposits that are unlikely to be found on Mars are also listed.