Influence of cyclic wetting and drying on swelling behavior of mudstone in south west of Iran

Mudstone experience periodic swell and shrink behavior due to alternate wetting and drying cycles at arid and semi-arid regions with distinctive seasonal changes. This paper examines the influence of cyclic wetting and drying on swelling strain and swelling pressure to simulate the behavior of such rocks under heavy structures (such as building foundations) and behind the stiff support systems (such as concrete linings). Mudstone samples from Bakhtiari formation of Masjed-Soleiman region in south west of Iran were chosen to perform the laboratory tests. The swelling strain under different dead pressures and also swelling pressure under oedometeric condition were measured over time. The maximum swelling strain and pressure increased with each cycle but it had a bound. Increasing the number of wetting and drying cycles reduces the time required to reach ultimate swelling of mudstone. This is a very important conclusion which helps to determine ultimate swelling behavior in a faster way as opposed to performing standard swelling tests for very long periods. The laboratory’s results are also in good correspondence with field measurements.     

The evidence for clumpy accretion in the Herbig Ae star HR 5999

Analysis of IUE high- and low-dispersion spectra of the young Herbig Ae star HR 5999 (HD 144668) covering 1978–1992 has revealed dramatic changes in the Mg II h and k (2795.5, 2802.7 Å) emission profiles, changes in the column density and distribution in radial velocity of accreting gas, and flux in the Ly, OI and CIV emission lines, which are correlated with the UV excess luminosity. We also observe variability in the spectral type inferred from the UV spectral energy distribution, ranging from A5 IV-III in high state to A7 III in the low state. The trend of earlier inferred spectral type with decreasing wavelength and with increasing UV continuum flux has previously been noted as a signature of accretion disks in lower mass pre-main sequence stars (PMS) and in systems undergoing FU Orionis-type outbursts. Our data represent the first detection of similar phenomena in an intermediate mass (M 2M ) PMS star. Recent IUE spectra show gas accreting toward the star with velocities as high as +300 km s^–1, much as is seen toward Pic, and suggest that we also view this system through the debris disk. The absence of UV lines with the rotational broadening expected given the optical data (A7 IV,v sini = 180 ± 20 km s^–1) for this system also suggests that most of the UV light originates in the disk, even in the low continuum state. The dramatic variability in the column density of accreting gas, consistent with clumpy accretion, such as has been observed toward Pic, is a hallmark of accretion onto young stars, and is not restricted to the clearing phase, since detectable amounts of accretion are present for stars with 0.5 <t _age < 2.8 Myr. The implications for models of Pic and similar systems are briefly discussed.Paper presented at the Conference onPlanetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.     

Sveconorwegian crustal underplating in southwestern Fennoscandia: LAM-ICPMS U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope evidence from granites and gneisses in Telemark, southern Norway

Laser ablation ICPMS U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope data on granitic-granodioritic gneisses of the Precambrian Vråvatn complex in central Telemark, southern Norway, indicate that the magmatic protoliths crystallized at 1201 ± 9 Ma to 1219 ± 8 Ma, from magmas with juvenile or near-juvenile Hf isotopic composition (¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf = 0.2823 ± 11, epsilon-Hf > + 6). These data provide supporting evidence for the depleted mantle Hf-isotope evolution curve in a time period where juvenile igneous rocks are scarce on a global scale. They also identify a hitherto unknown event of mafic underplating in the region, and provide new and important limits on the crustal evolution of the SW part of the Fennoscandian Shield. This juvenile geochemical component in the deep crust may have contributed to the 1.0–0.92 Ga anorogenic magmatism in the region, which includes both A-type granite and a large anorthosite–mangerite–charnockite–granite intrusive complex. The gneisses of the Vråvatn complex were intruded by a granitic pluton with mafic enclaves and hybrid facies (the Vrådal granite) in that period. LAM-ICPMS U–Pb data from zircons from granitic and hybrid facies of the pluton indicates an intrusive age of 966 ± 4 Ma, and give a hint of ca. 1.46 Ga inheritance. The initial Hf isotopic composition of this granite (¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf = 0.28219 ± 13, epsilon-Hf = − 5 to + 6) overlaps with mixtures of pre-1.7 Ga crustal rocks and juvenile Sveconorwegian crust, lithospheric mantle and/or global depleted mantle. Contributions from ca. 1.2 Ga crustal underplate must be considered when modelling the petrogenesis of late Sveconorwegian anorogenic magmatism in the region.     

Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of stromatolitic carbonates from the greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah basin of Peninsular India

Oldest rocks are sparsely distributed within the Dharwar Craton and little is known about their involvement in the sedimentary sequences which are present in the Archean greenstone successions and the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin.Stromatolitic carbonates are well preserved in the Neoarchean greenstone belts of Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah Basin of Peninsular India displaying varied morphological and geochemical characteristics.In this study,we report results from U-Pb geochronology and trace element composition of the detrital zircons from stromatolitic carbonates present within the Dharwar Craton and Cuddapah basin to understand the provenance and time of accretion and deposition.The UPb ages of the detrital zircons from the Bhimasamudra and Marikanve stromatolites of the Chitradurga greenstone belt of Dharwar Craton display ages of 3426±26 Ma to 2650±38 Ma whereas the Sandur stromatolites gave an age of 3508±29 Ma to 2926±36 Ma suggesting Paleo-to Neoarchean provenance.The U-Pb detrital zircons of the Tadpatri stromatolites gave an age of 2761±31 Ma to1672±38 Ma suggesting Neoarchean to Mesoproterozoic provenance.The Rare Earth Element(REE)patterns of the studied detrital zircons from Archean Dharwar Craton and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin display depletion in light rare earth elements(LREE)and enrichment in heavy rare earth elements(HREE)with pronounced positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies,typical of magmatic zircons.The trace element composition and their relationship collectively indicate a mixed granitoid and mafic source for both the Dharwar and Cuddapah stromatolites.The 3508±29 Ma age of the detrital zircons support the existence of 3.5 Ga crust in the Western Dharwar Craton.The overall detrital zircon ages(3.5-2.7 Ga)obtained from the stromatolitic carbonates of Archean greenstone belts and Proterozoic Cuddapah basin(2.7-1.6 Ga)collectively reflect on^800-900 Ma duration for the Precambrian stromatolite deposition in the Dharwar Craton.     

Quality Assurance of Hydrocarbon Measurements for the German Tropospheric Research Focus (TFS)

In the German Focus on Tropospheric Research (TFS) independent quality assurance procedures were implemented in order to obtain information on data quality and comparability of the different measurements made in the different field campaigns. This paper describes the results for measurements of hydrocarbons using in-situ gas chromatographictechniques and off line analysis of samples collected in canisters (analysed by two central laboratories CL-1 and CL-2) and samples collected on adsorption tubes. The QA-procedures included comparisons with synthetic standards (prepared by EN 45001 certified laboratories), absolute calibration with a diffusion source, and an instrument/methodology comparison in ambient air. Harmonisation of the ambient measurements was achieved with a complex mixture (NCAR/BERLIOZ) containing 70 commonly observed hydrocarbons at mixing ratios of 0.2 to 10 ppb (mole fraction) in nitrogen, which was calibrated by referencing to hydrocarbon standards of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).For the certified synthetic standards, the experienced groups agreed to within ± 20% for most compounds. Much larger discrepancies were observed for the new Airmotec HC2010 instruments due to problems with identification, co-elution and blanks/memory effects. The results in ambient air were similar: Reasonable agreement was found for the results from the experienced groups with well characterised in situ instruments andfor the charcoal tubes, whereas larger discrepancies were observed for the results from new groups and instruments. For the latter, only selected compounds met the data quality objectives (DQO). The canister samples analysed by CL-2 were in good agreement with the reference instrument, whereas large deviations were found for a number of compounds in the analysis of the same canisters by CL-1. The results of the comparison provided the final basis for flagging and harmonising the data from all participants prior to their submission to the TFS central data bank.     

An infrared imaging search for low‐mass companions to members of the young nearby β Pic and Tucana/Horologium associations

We present deep high dynamic range infrared images of young nearby stars in the Tucana/Horologium and β Pic associations, all ∼10 to 35 Myrs young and at ∼10 to 60 pc distance. Such young nearby stars are well‐suited for direct imaging searches for brown dwarf and even planetary companions, because young sub‐stellar objects are still self‐luminous due to contraction and accretion. We performed our observations at the ESO 3.5m NTT with the normal infrared imaging detector SofI and the MPE speckle camera Sharp‐I. Three arc sec north of GSC 8047‐0232 in Horologium a promising brown dwarf companion candidate is detected, which needs to be confirmed by proper motion and/or spectroscopy. Several other faint companion candidates are already rejected by second epoch imaging. Among 21 stars observed in Tucana/Horologium, there are not more than one to five brown dwarf companions outside of 75 AU (1.5″ at 50 pc); most certainly only ≤5% of the Tuc/HorA stars have brown dwarf companions (13 to 78 Jupiter masses) outside of 75 AU. For the first time, we can report an upper limit for the frequency of massive planets (∼10 M_jup) at wide separations (∼100 AU) using a meaningfull and homogeneous sample: Of 11 stars observed sufficiently deep in β Pic (12 Myrs), not more than one has a massive planet outside of ∼100 AU, i.e. massive planets at large separations are rare (≤9%). (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Narrow‐Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies with high‐energy sharp spectral drops: reflection‐versus absorption models

With the launch of XMM‐Newton in 1999, two Narrow‐Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies (NLS1s) have been detected (IRAS 13224–3809 and 1H 0707–495) showing sharp spectral drops at energies equal or above the neutral Fe K edge at 7.1 keV without any narrow Fe K reemission. In this paper I summarize our present knowledge on the observed properties of sharp high‐energy spectral drops. I list the problems presently arising from the reflection dominated and the optically thick disc models. Finally, I present an alternative solution which consists of a combination of the accretion disc model and the reflection dominated model. This might solve the problems of the standard accretion disc model. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spectral indices in quantitative spectral classification from stellar libraries

With the use of modern detectors stellar spectral classification libraries have been extended from the photographic regime to the near ℝ at 11000 Å. We have defined new spectral indices within this extended wavelength-range that can be used to determine the luminosity classification for G-K-M stars. An advantage of the new indices, which sample the stellar flux in and out of selected spectral features, is that they are insensitive to catalog differences. This facilitates the use of many catalogs, with varying resolution, different reddening corrections, and calibrations, hence extending the total number of stellar standards available. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the indices can be used to infer absolute magnitudes with good accuracy. The indices should prove useful for analysis of spectra from distant clusters, galaxies, and in particular for problems involving spectral synthesis of stellar populations of galaxies.