The isotopic composition and elemental abundance of lutetium in meteorites and terrestrial samples and the 176Lu cosmochronometer

The isotopic composition of lutetium has been measured in a range of terrestrial and meteoritic materials using solid-source mass spectrometric techniques. The meteoritic and terrestrial isotopic abundances are identical within experimental errors. The absolute ¹⁷⁵Lu/¹⁷⁶Lu ratio as determined in this work is 37.36 ± 0.07 at the 95% confidence level. On the basis of this measurement the atomic weight of lutetium has been calculated to be 174.967 ± 0.002, which is in good agreement with the currently accepted figure of 174.97 ± 0.01.Using the stable isotope dilution technique the abundance of lutetium has been determined in 25 stone, 1 stony-iron and 8 iron meteorites, and in 12 standard rocks, with an accuracy of ±5% at the 95% confidence level. In general, there is good agreement between this work and other published data.The ¹⁷⁶Lu-¹⁷⁶Hf pair has been proposed as an s process nucleocosmochronometer, because of the long half-life of ¹⁷⁶Lu and the unique fact that both are s process isobars. The isotopic and elemental abundances of lutetium as measured in this work have been used with published nuclear data to estimate the mean age of s process nucleosynthesis for this isobaric pair, using the Schramm-Wasserburg formalism. The mean age cannot be accurately determined at the present time because of the lack of 30 keV neutron capture cross-section data for s only process nuclides and an accurate measurement of the branching ratio of ¹⁷⁵Lu + n. However, it is possible to place constraints on the nuclear parameters in this mass region using a reasonable s process chronology based on the decay of ¹⁷⁶Lu.     

Wide-angle vibroseis test across the Rhine graben

Summary. As a joint operation of ECORS and DEKORP, a deep wide-angle seismic experiment using vibrators was carried out in the autumn of 1984. The object was to get information on the deep crust under the Rhine graben without crossing through sedimentary layers. Offsets were in the range of 50 to 89 km. In the first phase, two vibration points were executed in the Vosges mountains. A signal was received in the Black Forest from solely the farthest VP. In the second phase, fourteen VPs were executed in the Black Forest. No stacking or correlation was performed in the field in France. The quality of the results is good only if an equalization is applied before vertical stacking and correlation in the computing centre.     

Suggestion for the search of H2CC in cool cosmic objects

The transition 1₁₁ ? 1₁₀ at 4.829 GHz of formaldehyde (H₂CO) was the first one showing the anomalous absorption, i.e., the absorption against the cosmic microwave background. Anomalous absorption is an unusual phenomena. Structure of H₂CC is very similar to that of H₂CO and H₂CS. Both H₂CO and H₂CS have already been identified in a number of cosmic objects. Though H₂CC is not yet identified in the cosmic objects, we propose that H₂CC may be identified in cool cosmic objects through its transition 1₁₁ ? 1₁₀ at 4.85 GHz in anomalous absorption.     

Toroidal versus poloidal magnetic fields in Sun-like stars: a rotation threshold

From a set of stellar spectropolarimetric observations, we report the detection of surface magnetic fields in a sample of four solar-type stars, namely HD 73350, HD 76151, HD 146233 (18 Sco) and HD 190771. Assuming that the observed variability of polarimetric signal is controlled by stellar rotation, we establish the rotation periods of our targets, with values ranging from 8.8 d (for HD 190771) to 22.7 d (for HD 146233). Apart from rotation, fundamental parameters of the selected objects are very close to the Sun's, making this sample a practical basis to investigate the specific impact of rotation on magnetic properties of Sun-like stars.
We reconstruct the large-scale magnetic geometry of the targets as a low-order  (ℓ < 10)  spherical harmonic expansion of the surface magnetic field. From the set of magnetic maps, we draw two main conclusions. (i) The magnetic energy of the large-scale field increases with rotation rate. The increase in chromospheric emission with the mean magnetic field is flatter than observed in the Sun. Since the chromospheric flux is also sensitive to magnetic elements smaller than those contributing to the polarimetric signal, this observation suggests that a larger fraction of the surface magnetic energy is stored in large scales as rotation increases. (ii) Whereas the magnetic field is mostly poloidal for low rotation rates, more rapid rotators host a large-scale toroidal component in their surface field. From our observations, we infer that a rotation period lower than ≈12 d is necessary for the toroidal magnetic energy to dominate over the poloidal component.     

Some studies on the solar microwave bursts in relation to the slowly varying component

The occurrences of 5772 microwave bursts recorded by the Sagamore Hill and Manilla Solar Radio Observatories over the period January 1968 to July 1970, covering the maximum phase of the current solar cycle at frequencies 2695, 4995 and 8800 MHz and their energy excesses have been examined in relation to the S-component of solar radio emission. The average slowly varying component has been determined by the superposed epoch method commonly known as the Chree analysis. Similar treatment of the bursts, data, mentioned above has been made to examine any probable 27-day variation and the results obtained have been compared with that of the S-component. Further, spectra of the microwave bursts under the so-called spectral type - inverted U, particularly those having a peak at 4995 MHz, have also been examined and compared with the average spectrum of the S-component. Some of the important results obtained from the present analysis are: (1) the nature of variation of both the average number of occurrences and energy excesses of the microwave bursts follow in general the average 27-day variation of the S-component, (2) the number of occurrences and energy excesses of the microwave bursts are comparatively greater in the ascending phase of the 27-day cycle than those in the descending phase, (3) bursts at progressively higher frequencies originate at lower levels in the solar atmosphere than those of the associated S-component, and (4) the average spectrum of the microwave bursts of inverted U spectral type having a peak at 4995 MHz is quite identical in nature to that of the S-component.     

Strontium and oxygen isotope evidence relating to the petrogenesis of the Kangerdlugssuaq alkaline instrusion,East Greenland

The Kangerdlugssuaq intrusion, East Greenland, consists of quartzsyenites, syenites, pulaskites and foyaites. The age and petrogenesis of the intrusion has been investigated by strontium and oxygen isotope analyses of the major rock types (and some separated minerals) and the surrounding country rocks. Crystallization and rapid cooling of the intrusion close to 50 m.y. ago is indicated by concordance of an Rb-Sr mineral isochron (49.9±1.0 m.y.) and an Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron (50.0±1.9 m.y.) with previously published mineral dates. The feldspathoid-bearing rocks of the intrusion, which were the last to crystallize, have uniformly depleted oxygen (¹⁸O = +3.9, SMOW) and homogeneous initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70450±7). This is ascribed to equilibration of the magma prior to the crystallization of these rocks with about 10% by weight of meteoric ground water. The concommittant increase of to about 1 Kb (the lithostatic load pressure) would depress the liquidus surfaces in the system Ne-Ks-Qz by about 200 ° C, allowing the magma to evolve continuously down temperature from oversatuated to undersaturated compositions. The chemical mechanism responsible for this trend has not been uniquely identified, but probably involved reduction of SiO₂ content in an open system. The outer, quartz-normative, rocks of the intrusion have ¹⁸O values ranging up to +5.5 and initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios ranging up to 0.7095. This is due to interaction of the solid rocks, down to temperatures approaching 500 ° C, with ground water which had been enriched in ¹⁸O and ⁸⁷Sr by previous exchange with the Precambrian country rocks. Minimum water/rock ratios are lower than in certain other known cases of interaction in the North Atlantic Tertiary Igneous Province.     

A ten-to-twelve year variation in the stratosphere of the Northern Hemisphere

This review paper for STIB (Stratosphere-Troposphere Interaction and the Biosphere; a proposed core project for IGBP) summarizes several features of a recently discovered 10–12 year oscillation in the atmosphere on the Northern Hemisphere. The oscillation is especially strong in the stratosphere during the warmer half of the year, but it is evident in the stratosphere and troposphere also in winter if the data are grouped according to the phase of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation of the wind in the equatorial stratosphere. During the 40 years with data available to describe the oscillation it was phase locked with the 11-year solar cycle.Affiliate Scientist, NCAR.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Metamorphic history of the Jutogh Series in the Simla klippe,lower Himalayas

The metamorphic rocks of the Jutogh Series around Simla, structurally overlying the less metamorphosed rock groups along a thrust contact, have been involved in three phases of deformation and two episodes of metamorphism. The first metamorphism is in the albite-epidote-amphibolite facies in a major part of the area, reaching the amphibolite facies locally in the central part. This metamorphism is late-to post-kinematic with reference to the F ₁ movement, the thermal peak having been reached in a post-F ₁ pre-F ₂ static phase. The second metamorphism, syn-to post-tectonic with respect to F ₂ but preceding F ₃, is generally in the greenschist facies, and only locally in the albite-epidote-amphibolite facies in the higher structural levels. Metamorphic overprinting has caused widespread retrogression and disequilibrium assemblages. As the large scale recumbent folding and thrusting of F ₁ and F ₂ phases belong to the Tertiary Himalayan orogeny, the metamorphism in the Jutogh Series could not have been Precambrian in age.