Silicate melts at magmatic temperatures: in-situ structure determination to 1651°C and effect of temperature and bulk composition on the mixing behavior of structural units

The abundance of coexisting structural units in K-, Na-, and Li-silicate melts and glasses from 25° to 1654°C has been determined with in-situ micro-Raman spectroscopy. From these data an equilibrium constant, K_x, for the disproportionation reaction among the structural units coexisting in the melts, Si₂O₅(2Q³)SiO₃(Q²)+SiO₂(Q⁴), was calculated (K_x is the equilibrium constant derived by using mol fractions rather than activities of the structural units). From ln K_x vs l/T relationships the enthalpy (H_x) for the disproportionation reaction is in the range of-30 to 30 kJ/mol with systematic compositional dependence. In the potassium and sodium systems, where the disproportionation reaction shifts to the right with increasing temperature, the H_x increases with silica content (M/Si decreases, M=Na, K). For melts and supercooled liquids of composition Li₂O·2SiO₂ (Li/Si=1), the H_x is indistinguishable from 0. By decreasing the Li/Si to 0.667 (composition LS3) and beyond (e.g., LS4), the disproportionation reaction shifts to the left as the temperature is increased. For a given ratio of M/Si (M=K, Na, Li), there is a positive, near linear correlation between the H_x and the Z/r² of the metal cation. The slope of the H_x vs Z/r² regression lines increases as the system becomes more silica rich (i.e., M/Si is decreased). Activity coefficients for the individual structural units, _i, were calculated from the structural data combined with liquidus phase relations. These coefficients are linear functions of their mol fraction of the form _i=a lnX _i+b, where a is between 0.6 and 0.87, and X _i is the mol fraction of the unit. The value of the intercept, b, is near 0. The relationship between activity coefficients and abundance of individual structural units is not affected by temperature or the electronic properties of the alkali metal. The activity of the structural units, however, depend on their concentration, type of metal cation, and on temperature.     

Pb−Sr−Nd−O isotopic constraints on the origin of rhyolites from the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand: evidence for assimilation followed by fractionation from basalt

A comprehensive Sr–Nd–Pb–O isotopic study is reported for rhyolites from the Maroa Volcanic Centre in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) of New Zealand. The Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of the rhyolites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.705236 to 0.705660 and _Nd = 2.0 to 0.2) are intermediate between those of primitive basalts (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.70387 and _Nd = 5.3) and the Torlesse basement (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.709 and _Nd = -4.5). The relatively low mantle-like oxygen isotopic compositions of ¹⁸ O = 7 ± 0.5 are consistent with the Nd-Sr isotopic constraints in that they can be accounted for by 15% to 25% crustal contamination of a basaltic parent by relatively ¹⁸ O-rich Torlesse metasediment. High precision Pb isotopic analyses of plagioclase separates from the Maroa rhyolites show that they have essentially the same compositions as the Torlesse metasedimentary terrane which is itself distinctive from the Western or Waipapa metasediments. Due to the high concentration of Pb in the Torlesse metasediments (>20 ppm) compared to the basalts (<2 ppm), the Pb isotopic composition of the volcanics may be controlled by relatively small amounts (>10%) of crustal contamination. All these results are shown to be consistent with derivation of the rhyolites by 15% to 25% contamination of relatively primitive basaltic magmas with Torlesse metasedimentary crust, followed by extensive, essentially closed system fractionation of the basalt to a magma of rhyolite composition. It is argued that the processes of assimilation and fractionation are separated in both space and time. The voluminous high silica rhyolites, which make up >97% of the exposed volcanism in the continental margin back-are basin environment of the TVZ, therefore appear to be a product of predominantly new additions to the crust with assimilation-recycling of pre-existing crust being of secondary importance.     

Carbon isotopic fractionation in lipids from methanotrophic bacteria: relevance for interpretation of the geochemical record of biomarkers

Experiments with cultured aerobic methane oxidising bacteria confirm that their biomarker lipids will be significantly depleted in 13C compared to the substrate. The methanotrophic bacteria Methylococcus capsulatus and Methylomonas methanica, grown on methane and using the RuMP cycle for carbon assimilation, show maximum 13C fractionation of approximately 30% in the resultant biomass. In M. capsulatus, the maximum fractionation is observed in the earliest part of the exponential growth stage and decreases to approximately 16% as cells approach stationary phase. This change may be associated with a shift from the particulate form to the soluble form of the methane monooxygenase enzyme. Less than maximum fractionation is observed when cells are grown with reduced methane availability. Biomass of M. capsulatus grown on methanol was depleted by 9% compared to the substrate. Additional strong 13C fractionation takes place during polyisoprenoid biosynthesis in methanotrophs. The delta 13C values of individual hopanoid and steroid biomarkers produced by these organisms were as much as l0% more negative than total biomass. In individual cultures, squalene was 13C-enriched by as much as 14% compared to the triterpane skeleton of bacteriohopaneaminopentol. Much of the isotopic dispersion in lipid metabolites could be attributed to shifts in their relative abundances, combined with an overall reduction in fractionation during the growth cycle. In cells grown on methanol, where there was no apparent effect of growth stage on overall fractionation there were still significant isotopic differences between closely related lipids including a 5.3% difference between the hopane and 3 beta-methylhopane skeletons. Hopane and sterane polyisoprenoids were also 13C-depleted compared to fatty acids. These observations have significant implications for the interpretation of specific compound isotopic signatures now being measured for hydrocarbons and other lipids present in sediments and petroleum. In particular, biomarker lipids produced by a single organism do not necessarily have the same carbon isotopic composition.     

Connection between X-ray and optical variability in NGC 4151

We have used long light curves in the X-ray (ARIEL V, EXOSAT, Ginga and others), UV (IUE), and optical (data of intensive ground-based monitoring) ranges of NGC 4151 to investigate connections between variations in these spectral fields. Applying Fourier (CLEAN algorithm) and modern cross-correlation analysis, we revealed the different character of the variability and the cross-correlation between high and low states of the nucleus. In contrast to earlier results, we found that X-ray and optical fluxes correlate in the active state without any apparent delay.In the power spectrum of the optical and X-ray light curves in the high state we found the existence of the same period of about 65 days, which disappeared in the low state.We confirmed previous data that X-ray variations correlate more strongly with UV and optical continuum variability during the low state, but it is possible that the optical variations appear to lag behind those involving X-rays by several tens of days.Strong variations in H line profile and [Fe X]6374 line intensity variations correlate with the observed X-ray covering dip in 1990 (Yaqoobet al., 1993).We discuss briefly the implications of these results.     

Strömgren and Hβ photometry of OB stars in Serpens

Strömgren and H photometry of 25 stars in the field of Serpens are presented. The excesses, the absolute magnitude and the temperatures of the stars are obtained. The masses and the ages are also estimated.     

Once more on quasar periodicities

In an earlier paper Arp, Bi, Chu and Zhu investigated various quasar samples and recognized a periodicity of remarkable degree in them. Their conclusion was that the existence of such a periodicity is a counterevidence against the cosmological origin of quasar redshifts. Since this question is of great importance in a cosmological context, here we reanalyze some of the samples together with a galaxy sample of the pencil-beam survey of Broadhurstet al. Our result is that on the plane of cosmological parameters (₀, ₀) there is a non-negligible region where two quasar samples and the galaxy sample are simultaneously fairly periodic. Pure periodicity is still compatible with cosmological principles, at least on length scales much longer than the period length. So the regularities can fit into a cosmological context.     

On the detection of mutual perturbations as proof of planets around PSR1257+12

Unambiguous detection of the consequences of mutual perturbations of the hypothesized planets about the pulsar PSR1257+12 would be unassailable proof of their existence. Nearly all of the residuals in the times of arrival (TOA) of the pulses after subtraction of the TOA predicted from the best fit constant period model are accounted for by including the effects of two orbiting planets with constant orbital parameters. The nature and magnitude of additional residuals in the TOA due to the gravitational interactions between the planets are determined by numerically calculating the TOA residuals for the orbital motion including the perturbations and subtracting the TOA residuals from analytic expressions of the orbital motion with orbital parameters fixed at averaged values. The TOA residual differences so obtained oscillate with periods comparable to the orbital periods with the oscillations varying in amplitude as a function of epoch within any given observational period. The signature of the perturbations is thus a quasiperiodic modulation of the residual differences obtained after removal of the effects of the orbital motion with best fit, constant orbital parameters. The amplitudes of this modulation reach about 10sec for observational periods exceeding 1000 days for the minimum planetary masses with sini = 1, and they increase as 1 / sini for 1 / sini < 5, wherei is the inclination of the orbit plane to that of the sky. Greater accumulated phase differences between the effects of perturbed and unperturbed orbital motions are available in the times of zero values in the observed and predicted TOA residuals and these comprise a second signature of the perturbations. The perturbation signatures should become detectable as the observation interval approaches 1000 days.Paper presented at the Conference onPlanetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.     

Wind variability in intermediate luminosity B supergiants

We discuss wind variability in intermediate luminosity B supergiants. Because these are not the hottest, most luminous or just about other kind of -est stars, they have not attracted much attention. However, since their wind lines are well-developed, but unsaturated, they make ideal diagnostics for time dependent wind studies. We show that their wind profiles undergo large scale variability and that this phenomenon is quite common. We also discuss a time series for the B0.5 Ib HD 64760 which suggests the long sought after connection between wind and photospheric activity. Newly developed analysis techniques needed to extract physical information from the wind lines are discussed, and results are applied to the time series.     

Non-radial stellar oscillations: a perspective from potential scattering (I)

This article is the first in a series designed to gain insight into the stellar oscillation problem from a somewhat novel point of view: that of potential scattering, well-known in the quantum mechanical literature. In this paper the known theoretical foundations are developed and applied in the context of the astrophysical problem, wherein the star itself (rather than any portion of it) is the potential which scatters waves and traps them. The basis for the identification of a precisely defined scattering problem is the existence of a linear Schrödinger equation associated both globally (Section 2) and locally (Section 8) with the nonlinear eigenvalue equation for nonradial stellar pulsations. The paper is also designed to be a fairly complete account of the relevant mathematical topics that are germane to a study of this kind. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Professor Zdenèk Kopal, who was a great source of professional encouragement to me during the last fifteen years of his life.     

Rosat wide field camera data and the temperature of the interstellar medium

The shadowing effects of the molecular clouds in the nearby interstellar medium on the soft x-ray background has been investigated, using ROSAT WFC data in conjunction with previous rocket B and C band surveys. Shadowing over a 5° extent occurs only for a few percent of the sky, but the mixed model of the ISM is supported.Detailed modelling of the Draco shadowing region shows little evidence for a multi-temperature, hot ISM component.