Rare metal mineralization of calcite carbonatites from the Cape Verde Archipelago

Rare metal mineralization of oceanic carbonatites was studied for the first time by the example of calcite carbonatite from Fogo Island in the Cape Verde Archipelago. The following evolutionary sequence of rare metal minerals was established: zirconolite-Th-calciobetafite-betafite + Th-pyrochlore-thorite + Ti-Zr-Nb silicates + zircon.Schematic reactions were proposed for zirconolite transformation to secondary phases: (Ca,Th,U)Zr(Ti,Nb)₂O₇ (zirconolite) + SiO₂ + Ca(F,OH)₂ → ZrSiO₄ (zircon) + (Ca,Th,U)₂(Ti,Nb)₂O₆(OH,F) (Th-calciobetafite) and (Ca,Th,U)₂(Ti,Nb)₂O₆(OH,F) + Na₂Si₂O₅ → ThSiO₄ (thorite) + (Ca,Na,Th)₂(Nb,Ti)₂O₆(OH,F) (Th-pyrochlore), where SiO₂, Ca(F,OH)₂, and Na₂Si₂O₅ are the components of melt-solution coexisting with the carbonatite.It was shown that the distribution and behavior of rare and radioactive elements in oceanic carbonatites show the same tendencies as in continental carbonatites. The contents and distribution of Ti, Ta, and Th in zirconolites and pyrochlores from oceanic and continental carbonatites are different: the minerals of oceanic carbonatites are enriched in Ti and Th and strongly depleted in Ta.     

Slowly Varying Component of Radio Emission from TVLM 513-46546 and Continuous Sources of High Energy Electrons in the Coronae of UltraCool Stars

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - It is shown that a source generating a slowly varying or quiet component of radio emission from ultracool stars such as the brown dwarf TVLM 513-46546 can be the...     

Modification of “Pressed” Atmospheres in Active Regions of Ultracool Stars

Ultracool stars usually have active regions, which is confirmed by their high-power radiofrequency emission modulated by the star axial rotation. The interpretation of this emission is commonly based on the electron cyclotron maser mechanism realized in the active regions. A plasma mechanism of radiofrequency emission is not considered, because ultracool star atmospheres are tightly “pressed” against the star surface, and the plasma frequency is much lower than the electron gyrofrequency (f_L ? f_B) at the coronal levels. This paper explores active regions of ultracool stars for the possible existence of a system of coronal magnetic loops carrying electric current generated by photospheric convection. It is shown that current dissipation induces a temperature increase inside the loops to about 10⁷ K, which causes an increase in the scale of height of the inhomogeneous atmosphere and, at the coronal levels, effectuates condition f_L ? f_B, at which the plasma mechanism of radiofrequency emission prevails over the electron cyclotron maser mechanism. The magnetic loop parameters, intensity of electric currents generated by the photospheric convection, and efficiency of plasma heating inside the magnetic loops are evaluated on the example of the brown dwarf TVLM513-46546. The scale of the height of the modified atmosphere, which appears to be comparable to the star radius, is calculated; it is shown that the soft X-ray flow created by the hot modified atmosphere inside a coronal magnetic loop is about equal to that observed for brown dwarf TVLM513-46546.     

Dynamic Model of Magnetic Flux Ropes

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Developing ideas of the paper Zaitsev and Stepanov (2018) with regards to activation of a current-carrying filament with an increase in electric current, in which the...     

Thermodynamic Analysis of Secondary Minerals Stability in Altered Carbonatites of the Oldoinyo Lengai Volcano,Northern Tanzania

Carbonatites from the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, northern Tanzania, are unstable under normal atmospheric conditions. Owing to carbonatite interaction with water, the major minerals—gregoryite Na₂(CO₃), nyerereite Na₂Ca(CO₃)₂, and sylvite KCl—are dissolved and replaced with secondary low-temperature minerals: thermonatrite Na₂(CO₃) · H₂O, trona Na₃(CO₃)(HCO₃) · 2H₂O, nahcolite Na(HCO₃), pirssonite Na₂Ca(CO₃)₂ · 2H₂O, calcite Ca(CO₃), and shortite Na₂Ca₂(CO₃)₃. Thermodynamic calculations show that the formation of secondary minerals in Oldoinyo Lengai carbonatites are controlled by the pH of the pore solution, H₂O and CO₂ fugacity, and the ratio of Ca and Na activity in the Na₂O–CaO–CO₂–H₂O system.     

Chemical composition of nyerereite and gregoryite from natrocarbonatites of Oldoinyo Lengai volcano,Tanzania

Alkali carbonates nyerereite, ideally Na₂Ca(CO₃)₂ and gregoryite, ideally Na₂CO₃, are the major minerals in natrocarbonatite lavas from Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, northern Tanzania. They occur as pheno- and microphenocrysts in groundmass consisting of fluorite and sylvite; nyerereite typically forms prismatic crystals and gregoryite occurs as round, oval crystals. Both minerals are characterized by relatively high contents of various minor elements. Raman spectroscopy data indicate the presence of sulfur and phosphorous as (SO₄)²⁻ and (PO₄)³⁻ groups. Microprobe analyses show variable composition of both nyerereite and gregoryite. Nyerereite contains 6.1–8.7 wt % K₂O, with subordinate amounts of SrO (1.7–3.3 wt %), BaO (0.3–1.6 wt %), SO₃ (0.8–1.5 wt %), P₂O₅ (0.2–0.8 wt %) and Cl (0.1–0.35 wt %). Gregoryite contains 5.0–11.9 wt % CaO, 3.4–5.8 wt % SO₃, 1.3–4.6 wt % P₂O₅, 0.6–1.0 wt % SrO, 0.1–0.6 wt % BaO and 0.3–0.7 wt % Cl. The content of F is below detection limits in nyerereite and gregoryite. Laser ablation ICP-MS analyses show that REE, Mn, Mg, Rb and Li are typical trace elements in these minerals. Nyerereite is enriched in REE (up to 1080 ppm) and Rb (up to 140 ppm), while gregoryite contains more Mg (up to 367 ppm) and Li (up to 241 ppm) as compared with nyerereite.     

Hydrochemistry of the Amur River: Weathering in a Northern Temperate Basin

We report the dissolved major element, organic carbon, and δ¹³C_DOC, δ¹³C_POC, δD, δ¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of 19 summer samples from the Amur River. The Amur transported 2.6 Tg C/year of total organic carbon to the Sea of Okhotsk. The physical weathering rate (PWR) based on suspended particulate material was 13 (1.4–14) tons/(km² year), and the chemical weathering rate based on total dissolved solids was 7 (4.3–46) tons/(km² year). We further quantified the sources of the dissolved cations using an inverse model: rain accounted for 2 (0.6–5)%, evaporite 3 (0.7–7)%, carbonate 51 (29–74)%, and silicate 45 (25–64)%. The silicate weathering rate (SWR) in the Amur basin was 23 (15–98) × 10³ mol/(km² year) or 0.67 (0.40–2.81) tons/(km² year), comparable to those of the Siberian rivers and the Mackenzie at higher latitudes. The SWR of the Amur was negatively correlated with elevation and relief, and positively correlated with runoff.     

Evolution of chemical composition of pyrochlore group minerals from phoscorites and carbonatites of the Khibina alkaline massif

Phoscorites and carbonatites of the Khibina alkaline massif, Russia contain three minerals of the pyrochlore group. They are, in order of crystallization: uranpyrochlore and pyrochlore in the phoscorites, and pyrochlore and bariopyrochlore in late calcite carbonatites. Early calcite carbonatites also contain uranpyrochlore and pyrochlore, but they are xenocrysts derived from the phoscorites. Alteration of the pyrochlore group minerals led to increasing U, Ti and water contents and decreasing Na, Ca, Nb and F contents. Crystallization of zoned uranpyrochlore to pyrochlore crystals in the phoscorites is explained by the experiments of Ryabchikov and Hamilton (1993, 1994) on the interaction of carbonate-phosphate melts with mantle peridotites.     

Dynamic regimes of prominence evolution

The dynamical model of a solar prominence taking into account plasma motion in the form of a cumulative flux was developed. Of great importance is the fact that the prominence plasma is partially ionized. Ion-neutral collisions in nonsteady flux conditions radically change the energetics and dynamics of the prominence model. In this case the equilibrium state described by the Kippenhahn-Schlüter solutions becomes unstable, and various dynamic regimes of plasma compression, as well as monotonic or quasi-periodic expansion of the plasma can exist in the prominence.     

The efficiency of electron acceleration in solar type-IV radio pulsations with a zebra pattern

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the October 25, 1994 event, we consider the balance of energetic particles in a type-IV solar radio emission source with a zebra-type fine structure (in a coronal magnetic loop). The zebra pattern is formed through the injection of fast electrons into a trap and the formation of a ring-type nonequilibrium electron distribution function. We estimated the characteristic zebra-pattern lifetime, which is determined by the escape of fast particles from the trap into the loss cone. In addition, we determined the number of fast particles that must be injected into the trap to provide the observed radio brightness temperature in zebra-pattern stripes by analyzing the plasma emission mechanism responsible for the zebra-pattern generation. As a result, we estimated the efficiency of the electron acceleration mechanism in coronal magnetic loops at the post-flare evolutionary phase of an active region.