FTIR micro-reflectance measurements of the CO3 2– ion content in basanite and leucitite glasses

 Infrared spectroscopy provides a reliable method for rapid, non-destructive quantitative analysis of volatile species in silicate glasses, with applications to geochemistry and volcanology. The technique has been extensively calibrated for transmission measurements, in which the species concentration present is correlated with the height or area of characteristic absorption peaks, for doubly polished samples of known thickness. There are several drawbacks associated with this method, including the need for double polishing of parallel faces on thin samples, the errors associated with sample thickness measurement, and total absorption of the IR beam intensity for samples with high volatile content. We have tested an alternative method for quantitative IR determination of volatile concentrations in silicate glasses, based on analysis of the IR reflectivity signal. The reflectivity method requires preparation of a single polished glass surface, and no thickness measurement of the sample is necessary. The technique is applied easily as a microbeam technique using apertures as small as a few μm in diameter. The method should be particularly useful for volatile analysis of glass inclusions in phenocrystals, or standard samples in thin section. We have developed the methodology for the technique using a series of basanite and leucitite glasses with high carbonate contents (>1 wt% CO₂), which could not be easily analyzed via IR transmission. We have used SIMS to standardize the technique. Two features observed in the reflectance spectra near 1400 cm^–1 and 1500 cm^–1 are due to resonance of the infrared beam with the asymmetric stretching vibrations of carbonate groups. The contribution of these species to the total reflectivity is directly correlated with the carbon abundance in the samples. This forms the basis for an empirical quantitative analysis. The optical constants, including the IR absorption coefficients associated with the CO₃ ^2– stretching vibrations, have been extracted by Kramers-Kronig analysis of the reflectivity data. The molar extinction coefficients are 1119 ± 138 L mol^–1 cm^–1 and 1198 ± 145 L mol^–1 cm^–1 for the 1400 and 1500 cm^–1 bands, respectively, in excellent agreement with results of previous transmission studies, after orientation effects are taken into account. Received: 29 September 1995 / Accepted: 17 May 1996     

High-frequency vertical current observations in stratified seas

Although large-scale tidal and inertial motions dominate the kinetic energy and vertical current shear in shelf seas and ocean, short-scale internal waves at higher frequencies close to the local buoyancy frequency are of some interest for studying internal wave breaking and associated diapycnal mixing. Such waves near the upper limit of the inertio-gravity wave band are thought to have relatively short O (10²–10³ m) horizontal scales and to show mainly up- and downward motions, which contrasts with generally low aspect ratio large-scale ocean currents. Here, short-term vertical current (w) observations using moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) are presented from a shelf sea, above a continental slope and from the open ocean. The observed w, with amplitudes between 0.015 and 0.05 m s⁻¹, all span a considerable part of the water column, which is not a small vertical scale O(water depth) or O (100–500 m, the maximum range of observations), with either 0 or π phase change. This implies that they actually represent internal waves of low vertical modes 1 or 2. Maximum amplitudes are found in layers of largest stratification, some in the main pycnocline bordering the frictional bottom boundary layer, suggesting a tidal source. These ‘pycnocline-w’ compose a regular train of (solitary) internal waves and linearly decrease to small values near surface and bottom.     

Palynostratigraphy of the Zorritas Formation,Antofagasta region,Chile: Insights on the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary in western Gondwana

The Middle Member of the Zorritas Formation in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile, yielded terrestrial and marine palynomorph assemblages which span the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary. The assemblages show a clear predominance of terrestrial palynomorphs with 70 miospore species, 18 marine phytoplankton species, two non-marine algae and one chitinozoan species, all coming from 15 productive levels. Palynomorphs are poorly preserved and most of them are reworked. Three palynological associations are recognized based on miospores. These are assigned to the Tournaisian–Visean, Tournaisian and probable latest Famennian. Age assignments are discussed in the frame of the spore zonal schemes established for Euramerica and western Gondwana. The stratigraphical distribution of spores allows the identification of the probable position of the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary within the Zorritas Formation. This system boundary is proposed for the first time in Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks of northern Chile. The presence of Gondwanan typical miospore species indicates affinities with this palaeocontinent even though the Tournaisian and Tournaisian–Visean miospore associations support the cosmopolitanism already suggested for the early Carboniferous flora. The significant number of reworked palynomorphs together with the sedimentological analysis of the studied sections, suggest that these deposits were severely impacted by the climatic change and major sea level fluctuations. Similar conditions were recorded in coeval western Gondwana basins.     

Glendonite — Indikatoren des polarmarinen Ablagerungsmilieus

Zusammenfassung Glendonite sind Pseudomorphosen von überwiegend Calcit (in mehreren Generationen) nach Thenardit (Na₂SO₄). Die meistens sternförmigen Kristallaggregate von Walnuß- bis Faustgröße bildeten sich im unterkühlten Meereswasser (cold salinity currents) in oder auf der oberen Lage des Meeresbodens. Sie sind an marine Tonsteine gebunden und kommen in ihrem Verbreitungsgebiet in großer Zahl vor. Rezente Glendonite treten nur im Arktischen Ozean und seinen Nebenmeeren (Weißes Meer) auf. Fossile gibt es in Perm und Kreide Australiens (permisches Vereisungsgebiet) und in den jeweils hohen Breiten der Nordhalbkugel im Domerium, mittleren Jura, Valangin, Ober-Apt/Unter-Alb, Oligozän/Miozän und Pleistozän/Holozän. Für diese Zeiten ist eine erhebliche Abkühlung zu postulieren.Beim Vergleich mit den entsprechenden Schichtenfolgen Mitteleuropas fällt auf, daß in den Zeiten der Glendonit-Vorkommen der arktischen Gebiete im borealen Europa dunkle Tonsteine abgelagert wurden. In Zeiten starker Kalksedimentation (Ober-Oxford, Kimmeridge, Ober-Kreide) und arider oder subtropischer Klimate in Mitteleuropa (Tithon: Münder Mergel-Fazies und Berrias: Wealden-Fazies) fehlen Glendonite auch im hohen Norden.Alle diese Befunde verweisen auf ausgeprägte, langfristige Klimaschwankungen vom Lias ab. Zur Zeit der kälteren Phasen müssen in den hohen Breiten mit den heutigen Verhältnissen vergleichbare polare Klimate geherrscht haben.

---

Glendonites are pseudomorphs of mainly calcite (in several generations) after Thenardit (Na₂SO₄). The crystal aggregates are preponderantly star shaped and range in size between walnut and fist dimensions. They were formed by cold salinity currents in the uppermost layer of the ocean floor. They are restricted to marine shales and mudstones and occur in great quantities in their area of distribution. Recent glendonites are known only from the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas (e. g. the White Sea). Fossil glendonites occur in the Permian and Cretaceous of Australia (Permian area of glaciation) and in high latitudes of the Northern hemisphere in the Domerian, middle Jurassic, Valanginian, late Aptian — early Albian, Oligocene — Miocene, and Pleistocene — Holocene. For these periods a considerable cooling has to be postulated.If the sediments of these periods are compared with the corresponding ones of central Europe it is obvious that in those periods during which glendonites were formed in high latitudes dark shales were deposited in the boreal part of Europe. In periods of high lime accumulation (Upper Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, Upper Cretaceous) and arid or subtropical climates in central Europe (e. g. the Münder Mergel facies of the Tithonian and the Purbeck and Wealden facies of the Berriasian) glendonites are absent from the high latitudes.All these observations point to intensive and long term variations of climate from the early Jurassic on. During the cold phases, comparable polar climates must have predominated in the high latitudes as exist today.

---

Résumé Les glendonites sont des pseudomorphoses, principalement de calcite (en plusieurs générations), de thénardite (Na₂SO₄). Les agrégats, le plus souvent de forme radiée, de la taille d'une noix à celle du poing, se sont formés dans de l'eau marine surrefroidie (»courants de salinité froide«) dans la couches supérieure des fonds marins ou à sa surface. Ils sont liés à des argiles marines et se présentent en grande quantité dans leur aire d'extension. Les glendonites récentes se rencontrent seulement dans l'Océan arctique et dans les mers annexes (Mer blanche). Elles existent à l'état fossile dans le Permien et le Crétacique de l'Australie (région de la glaciation permienne) et dans les hautes latitudes de l'époque de l'hémisphère nord dans le Domérien, le Jurassique moyen, le Valanginien, l'Aptien supérieur/inférieur, l'Oligocène/Miocène, et le Pleistocène/Holocène. Pour ces périodes il y a lieu de postuler un net refroidissement.Par comparaison avec les séries correspondantes de l'Europe centrale, il apparaît que des argiles foncées ont été déposées, lors des occurrences de Glendonites des régions arctique, dans l'Europe boréale. Lors de sédimentations calcaires intenses (Oxfordien supérieur, Kimméridgien, Crétacique supérieur) et dans les climats arides ou subtropicaux dans l'Europe centrale (Tithonique: facies marneux de Münder, et Berriasien: facies wealdien) les glendonites sont absentes également dans les hautes latitudes septentrionales.Toutes ces occurrences indiquent des modifications climatiques bien marquées, de longue durée à partir du Lias. Au moment des phases plus froides, il a dû régner dans les hautes latitudes un climat polaire comparable à celui de nos jours.

---

( ) . — cold salinity currents, . . — . — — , , , / , / / . . , . ( , , ) , (; : ) . . , .

     

Mission design for Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE) using a magnetoplasma spacecraft

To send humans beyond Mars, a Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE) mission has been studied for new spacecraft concepts and technologies. In this paper, an interplanetary trajectory and a preliminary spacecraft design are presented for the HOPE visit to Callisto, one of Jupiter's moons. To design a round-trip trajectory for the mission, the characteristics of the spacecraft and its trajectories are analyzed. A detailed optimization approach is formulated to utilize a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine with capabilities of variable specific impulse, variable engine efficiency, and engine on-off control. It is mainly illustrated that a 30 MW powered spacecraft can make the mission possible in a 5-year round trip constraint around the year 2045. Trajectories with different power and reactor options are also discussed. The results obtained in this study can be used for formulating an overall concept for the mission.     

Towards a Better Understanding of a Hydrodynamic Plasma-Gas Coupling by Charge Exchange Processes

Previous models of the interaction of the solar and interstellar hydrodynamic flows have clearly recognized the need to correctly describe the charge-exchange induced coupling of these flows. Neutral atoms and protons are coupled by mass-, momentum-, and energy- exchange terms due to charge exchange collisions between ionized and neutral particle species. However, treating as implified case of this problem, namely the penetration of an H-atom flow through the plasma wall ahead of the heliopause, we demonstrate that the exchange terms previously used in hydrodynamic treatments lead to a singularity with an O-type critical point at the sonic point of the H-atom flow. At this point a continuous integration of the hydrodynamic set of differential equations is impeded. We show that the remedy of this problem is given by a more accurate formulation of the momentum exchange term for the regime of quasi- and sub-sonic H-atom flows. Using a momentum exchange term derived from basic kinetic Boltzmann principles we now obtain a characteristic equation with an X-type critical point which allows to present a continuous solution from supersonic to subsonic flow conditions. Under these new auspices the already often treated problem of the penetration of interstellar H-atoms into the inner heliosphere has urgently to be revisited, since H-atoms are more effectively decelerated at their penetration into the inner heliosphere and are more strongly deflected to the flanks of the heliopause. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Can Jupiters be found by monitoring Galactic bulge microlensing events from northern sites?

In 1998 the EXPORT team monitored microlensing event light curves using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera on the IAC 0.8-m telescope on Tenerife to evaluate the prospect of using northern telescopes to find microlens anomalies that reveal planets orbiting the lens stars. The high airmass and more limited time available for observations of Galactic bulge sources make a northern site less favourable for microlensing planet searches. However, there are potentially a large number of northern 1-m class telescopes that could devote a few hours per night to monitor ongoing microlensing events. Our IAC observations indicate that accuracies sufficient to detect planets can be achieved despite the higher airmass.     

Instability regions in the upper HR diagram

The following instability regions for blueward evolving-supergiants are outlined and compared. (1) Areas in the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram where stars are dynamically unstable. (2) Areas where the effective acceleration in the upper part of the photospheres is negative, hence directed outward. (3) Areas where the sonic points of the stellar winds (where     are situated inside the photospheres, at a level deeper than     . We compare the results with the positions of actual stars in the HR diagram and we find evidence that the recent strong contraction of the yellow hypergiant HR 8752 was initiated in a period during which     , whereupon the star became dynamically unstable. The instability and extreme shells around IRC+10420 are suggested to be related to three factors:     the sonic point is situated inside the photosphere; and the star is dynamically unstable.