Experimental and petrological constraints on lunar differentiation from the Apollo 15 green picritic glasses

Abstract— Phase equilibrium experiments on the most magnesian Apollo 15C green picritic glass composition indicate a multiple saturation point with olivine and orthopyroxene at 1520°C and 1.3 GPa (about 260 km depth in the moon). This composition has the highest Mg# of any lunar picritic glass and the shallowest multiple saturation point. Experiments on an Apollo 15A composition indicate a multiple saturation point with olivine and orthopyroxene at 1520°C and 2.2 GPa (about 440 km depth in the moon). The importance of the distinctive compositional trends of the Apollo 15 groups A, B, and C picritic glasses merits the reanalysis of NASA slide 15426,72 with modern electron microprobe techniques. We confirm the compositional trends reported by Delano (1979, 1986) in the major element oxides SiO₂, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, FeO, MnO, MgO, and CaO, and we also obtained data for the trace elements P₂O₅, K₂O, Na₂O, NiO, S, Cu, Cl, Zn, and F. Petrogenetic modeling demonstrates that the Apollo 15 A‐B‐C glass trends could not have been formed by fractional crystallization or any continuous assimilation/fractional crystallization (AFC) process. The B and C glass compositional trends could not have been formed by batch or incremental melting of an olivine + orthopyroxene source or any other homogeneous source, though the A glasses may have been formed by congruent melting over a small pressure range at depth. The B compositional trend is well modeled by starting with an intermediate A composition and assimilating a shallower, melted cumulate, and the C compositional trend is well modeled by a second assimilation event. The assimilation process envisioned is one in which heat and mass transfer were separated in space and time. In an initial intrusive event, a picritic magma crystallized and provided heat to melt magma ocean cumulates. In a later replenishment event, the picritic magma incrementally mixed with the melted cumulate (creating the compositional trends in the green glass data set), ascended to the lunar surface, and erupted as a fire fountain. A barometer created from multiple saturation points provides a depth estimate of other glasses in the A‐B‐C trend and of the depths of assimilation. This barometer demonstrates that the Apollo 15 A‐B‐C trend originated over a depth range of ?460 km to ?260 km within the moon.     

Cylindrical Zakharov–Kuznestov equation for ion-acoustic waves with electrons featuring non-extensive distribution

Cylindrical Zakharov–Kuznestov equation for ion-acoustic waves comprising of ions and electrons featuring non-extensive distribution are derived from the fluid equations through reductive perturbation technique. System of first order ordinary differential equations is obtained from Zakharov–Kuznestov equation through dynamical system approach and ultimately it is solved using numerical method. It is found that the electron to positron ratio parameter and the non-extensive distributed parameter due to electron play crucial role on the solution.     

Overtaking collision of two ion acoustic soliton in a plasma with a q-nonextensive electron and thermal positrons

Theoretically the propagation of two ion acoustic soliton interaction in a three component collisionless unmagnetized plasma which consists of electrons, positrons and cold ions, has been investigated here by employing reductive perturbation technique. In this study, q distributed electrons and Maxwell-Boltzmann distributed positrons are considered and Korteweged-de Vries (KdV) equation is derived. The KdV equation is solved to get two soliton solution by using Hirota bilinear method. The effects of the q distributed electrons on the profiles of two soliton structures and the corresponding phase shifts are investigated. It is observed that both the nonextensive parameter (q) and the ratio of positrons density and electron density (p=n _p0/n _e0), play a significant role in the formation and existence of two soliton and also in the nature of their phase shifts.     

Using disaster footprints,population databases and GIS to overcome persistent problems for human impact assessment in flood events

Preventing disasters and their consequences is crucial to protect our societies and promote stability. Reliable information on impact is essential for an in-depth analysis of the factors that lead to disaster and for better disaster prevention and preparedness policies. At present, the estimation of the population exposed to natural hazards is based on proxies of their physical footprint such as flooded regions or watersheds. Satellite hazard footprints, combined with population and disaster impact data, can provide an impact assessment of higher precision. We report here on the procedure to combine such data using GIS methods and compare these estimates with those obtained using a previous approach. We found that the process is feasible, although there were limitations in the matching of disaster databases and possible problems of estimation when the data had different resolutions. In half of the events, the watershed approach largely overestimated the population physically exposed to floods. We conclude that the systematic production of footprints, as well as better methodologies for human impact measurement, would improve our understanding of disaster impacts and thereby strengthen disaster preparedness.     

On Magnetic Coupling Between the Two Hemispheres in Solar Dynamo Models

By introducing an asymmetry between the two hemispheres, we study whether the solar dynamo solutions in the two hemispheres remain coupled with each other. Our calculations are based on the solar dynamo code SURYA, which incorporates the helioseismically-determined solar-rotation profile, a Babcock–Leighton α effect concentrated near the surface, and a meridional circulation. When the magnetic coupling between the hemispheres is enhanced by either increasing the diffusion or introducing an α effect distributed throughout the convection zone, we find that the solutions in the two hemispheres evolve together with a single period even when we make the meridional circulation or the α effect different in the two hemispheres. On the other hand, when the hemispheric coupling is weaker for other values of parameters, an asymmetry between the hemispheres can make solutions in the two hemispheres evolve independently with different periods.     

Changes in Ellipticals Due to Collisions with Spirals and Their Consequences

A study of collisions between spiral and elliptical galaxies (approximated as composite spherical masses) is made to assess the changes undergone by the elliptical. Results indicate that unless the spiral is extremely massive compared to the elliptical, the elliptical is almost unaffected, while the spiral is strongly affected. For the frequent type of collision between equally massive spiral and elliptical galaxies, the elliptical is negligibly affected, while disruptive effects set in the spiral. However, the stellar pattern of the elliptical is changed and the stars are found to crowd in faint shells after the collision. The consequences of these results are explored in the context of the morphology-density relationship and the elliptical companions of ring galaxies.     

Biosorption of Cadmium(II) Ions by Citrus Peels in a Packed Bed Column: Effect of Process Parameters and Comparison of Different Breakthrough Curve Models

The efficiency of low cost citrus peels as biosorbents for removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solution was investigated in a fixed bed column, a process that could be applied to treat industrial wastewaters similar to commonly used ion exchange columns. Effluent concentration versus time profiles (i.e., breakthrough curves) were experimentally determined in a laboratory‐scale packed bed column for varying operational parameters such as flow rate (2, 9, and 15.5 mL/min), influent cadmium concentration (5, 10, and 15 mg/L), and bed height (24, 48, and 72 cm) at pH 5.5. Column operation was most efficient for empty bed contact times of at least 10 min, which were apparently necessary for mass transfer. While the sorption capacity was largely unaffected by operational variables, the Thomas (Th) rate constant increased with the flow rate, and slightly decreased with increasing column length. Three widely used semi‐mechanistic models (Th, Bohart–Adams, and Yoon–Nelson) were shown to be equivalent and the generalized model was compared with a two‐parameter empirical model (dose‐response). The latter was found to be able to better simulate the breakthrough curve in the region of breakthrough and saturation.     

Evaluation of crustal and upper mantle structures using receiver function analysis: ISM broadband observatory data

A three-component broadband seismograph is in operation since January 2007 at the Indian School of Mines (ISM) campus, Dhanbad. We have used the broadband (BB) seismograms of 17 teleseismic events (M ≥ 5.8) recorded by this single BB station during 2008–09 to estimate the crust and upper mantle discontinuities in Dhanbad area which falls in the peninsular India shield. The converted wave technique and the Receiver function analysis are used. A 1-D velocity model has been derived using inversion. The Mohorovicic (Moho) discontinuity (crustal thickness) below the ISM observatory is estimated to be ∼41 km, with an average Poisson ratio of ∼0.28, suggesting that the crust below the Dhanbad area is intermediate to mafic in nature. The single station BB data shed new light to the estimate of crustal thickness beneath the eastern India shield area, which was hitherto elusive. Further, it is observed that the global upper mantle discontinuity at 410 km is delayed by ∼0.6 sec compared to the IASP-91 global model; this may be explained by a slower/hotter upper mantle; while the 660 km discontinuity is within the noise level of data.