Spectropolarimetric observations of WR 137

We present high signal-to-noise spectropolarimetry of the WC7+OB star WR 137 (HD 192641) covering the spectral range from 3600Å to 1.1µm. The polarization spectrum shows unambiguous evidence for an intrinsic polarization vector.     

The brown dwarf desert as a consequence of orbital migration

We show that the dearth of brown dwarfs in short-period orbits around Solar-mass stars – the brown dwarf desert – can be understood as a consequence of inward migration within an evolving protoplanetary disc. Brown dwarf secondaries forming at the same time as the primary star have masses which are comparable to the initial mass of the protoplanetary disc. Subsequent disc evolution leads to inward migration, and destruction of the brown dwarf, via merger with the star. This is in contrast with massive planets, which avoid this fate by forming at a later epoch when the disc is close to being dispersed. Within this model, a brown dwarf desert arises because the mass at the hydrogen-burning limit is coincidentally comparable to the initial disc mass for a Solar mass star. Brown dwarfs should be found in close binaries around very low mass stars, around other brown dwarfs, and around Solar-type stars during the earliest phases of star formation.     

Continuous fluorescence assessment of organic matter variability on the Bournbrook River,Birmingham, UK

Continuous monitoring of dissolved organic matter (DOM) character and concentration at hourly resolution is rare, despite the importance of analysing organic matter variability at high‐temporal resolution to evaluate river carbon budgeting, river water health by detecting episodic pollution and to determine short‐term variations in chemical and ecological function. The authors report a 2‐week experiment performed on DOM sampled from Bournbrook, Birmingham, UK, an urban river for which spectrophotometric (fluorescence, absorbance), physiochemical (dissolved organic carbon [DOC], electrical conductivity, pH) and isotopic (D/H) parameters have been measured at hourly frequency. Our results show that the river had sub‐daily variations in both organic matter concentration and characteristics. In particular, after relatively high‐magnitude precipitation events, organic carbon concentration increased, with an associated increase in intensity of both humic‐like and tryptophan‐like fluorescence. D/H isotopic ratio demonstrates different hydrological responses to different rainfall events, and organic matter character reflects this difference. Events with precipitation < 2 mm typically yielded isotopically heavy water with relatively hydrophilic DOM and relatively low specific absorbance. Events with precipitation > 2 mm had isotopically lighter water with higher specific absorbance and a decrease in the proportion of microbially derived to humic‐like fluorescence. In our heavily urbanized catchment, we interpret these signals as one where riverine DOM is dominated by storm sewer‐derived ‘old’ organic matter at low‐rainfall amounts and a mixed signal at high‐precipitation amounts where ‘event’ surface runoff‐derived organic matter dominate during storm sewer and combined sewer overflow routed DOM. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A powder neutron diffraction study of the crystal structure of the fluoroperovskite NaMgF<Subscript>3</Subscript> (neighborite) from 300 to 3.6 K

The cell dimensions and crystal structures of the fluoroperovskite NaMgF₃ (neighborite), synthesized by solid state methods, have been determined by powder neutron diffraction and Rietveld refinement over the temperature range 300–3.6 K using Pt metal as an internal standard for calibration of the neutron wavelength. These data show that Pbnm NaMgF₃ does not undergo any phase transitions to structures of lower symmetry with decreasing temperature. The cell dimensions and atomic coordinates together with polyhedron volumes and distortion indices are given for Pbnm NaMgF₃ at 25 K intervals from 300 to 3.6 K. Decreases in the a and c cell dimensions reach a saturation point at 50 K, whereas the b dimension becomes saturated at 150 K. The distortion of the structure of Pbnm NaMgF₃ from the aristotype cubic structure is described in terms of the tilting of the MgF₆ octahedra according to the tilt scheme a ⁻ a ⁻ c ⁺ . With decreasing temperature the antiphase tilt (a ⁻) increases from 14.24° to 15.39°, whereas the in-phase tilt (c ⁺ ) remains effectively constant at ∼10.7°. Changes in the tilt angles are insufficient to cause changes in the coordination sphere of Na that might induce a low temperature phase transition. The structure of Pbnm NaMgF₃ is also described in terms of normal mode analysis and displacements of the condensed normal modes are compared with those of Pbnm KCaF₃.     

A North-South Transect across the Central Mexican Volcanic Belt at ~100{degrees}W: Spatial Distribution, Petrological, Geochemical, and Isotopic Characteristics of Quaternary Volcanism

Within the Zitácuaro–Valle de Bravo (ZVB) regionof the central Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB), three lava serieshave erupted during the Quaternary: (1) high-K₂O basaltic andesitesand andesites; (2) medium-K₂O basaltic andesites, andesitesand dacites; (3) high-TiO₂ basalts and basaltic andesites. Thedominant feature of the first two groups is the lack of plagioclaseaccompanying the various ferromagnesian phenocrysts (olivine,orthopyroxene, augite, and hornblende) in all but the dacites.This absence of plagioclase in the phenocryst assemblages ofthe high-K₂O and medium-K₂O intermediate lavas is significantbecause it indicates high water contents during the stage ofphenocryst equilibration. In contrast, the high-TiO₂ group ischaracterized by phenocrysts of plagioclase and olivine. Thespatial distribution of these three lava series is systematic.The southern section of the ZVB transect, 280–330 km fromthe Middle America Trench (MAT), is characterized by high-K₂Omelts that are relatively enriched in fluid-mobile elementsand have the highest ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. Medium-K₂O basaltic andesiteand andesite lavas are present throughout the transect, butthose closest to the MAT are MgO-rich (3·5–9·4wt %) and have phenocryst assemblages indicative of high magmaticwater contents (3·5–6·5 wt % water) andrelatively low temperatures (950–1000°C). In markedcontrast, the northern section of the ZVB transect (380–480km from the MAT) has high-TiO₂, high field strength element(HFSE)-enriched magmas that have comparatively dry (< 1·5wt % magmatic water) and hot (1100–1200°C) phenocrystequilibration conditions. The central section of the ZVB transect(330–380 km from the MAT) is a transition zone and producesmoderately light rare earth element (LREE) and large ion lithophileelement (LILE)-enriched, medium-K₂O lavas with phenocryst assemblagesindicative of intermediate (1·5–3·5 wt %)water contents and temperatures. The high-K₂O series compositionsare the most enriched in LILE and LREE, with a narrow rangeof radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from 0·704245 to 0·704507,¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd values ranging from 0·512857 to 0·512927(_Nd = 4·27–5·63), and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb valuesfrom 38·248 to 38·442, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb values from15·563 to 15·585, and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb values from18·598 to 18·688. The medium-K₂O series compositionsare only moderately enriched in the LILE and LREE, with a broaderrange of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, but similar ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pbvalues to those of the high-K₂O series. In contrast, the high-TiO₂series compositions have little enrichment in LILE or LREE andinstead are enriched in the HFSE and heavy rare earth elements(HREE). The high-TiO₂ lavas are isotopically distinct in theirlower and narrower range of ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd. The isotopic variationsare believed to reflect the upper mantle magma source regionsas the low content of phenocrysts in most lavas precludes significantupper crustal assimilation or magma mixing, other than thatrepresented by the presence of quartz xenocrysts (< 2 vol.%) with rhyolitic glass inclusions, which are found in manyof these lavas. The systematic spatial variation in compositionof the three lava series is a reflection of the underlying subduction-modifiedmantle and its evolution. KEY WORDS: central Mexico; geochemistry; isotopes; Quaternary volcanism; hydrous lavas