Ti K-edge XANES study on the coordination number and oxidation state of Titanium in pyroxene,olivine, armalcolite,ilmenite, and silicate glass during mare basalt petrogenesis

Lunar mare basalts are a product of partial melting of the lunar mantle under more reducing conditions when compared to those expected for the Earth’s upper mantle. Alongside Fe, Ti can be a major redox sensitive element in lunar magmas, and it can be enriched by up to a factor of ten in lunar basaltic glasses when compared to their terrestrial counterparts. Therefore, to better constrain the oxidation state of Ti and its coordination chemistry during lunar magmatic processes, we report new X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy measurements for a wide range of minerals (pyroxene, olivine, Fe–Ti oxides) and basaltic melt compositions involved in partial melting of the lunar mantle. Experiments were conducted in 1 bar gas-mixing furnaces at temperatures between 1100 and 1300 °C and oxygen fugacities (fO₂) that ranged from air to two orders of magnitude below the Fe–FeO redox equilibrium. Run products were analysed via electron microprobe and XANES Ti K-edge. Typical run products had large (>?100 µm) crystals in equilibrium with quenched silicate glass. Ti K-edge XANES spectra show a clear shift in energy of the absorption edge features from oxidizing to reducing conditions and yield an average valence for Fe–Ti oxides (armalcolite and ilmenite) of 3.6, i.e., a 40% of the overall Ti is Ti³⁺ under fO₂ conditions relevant to lunar magmatism (IW ??1.5 to ??1.8). Pyroxenes and olivine have average Ti valence of 3.75 (i.e., 25% of the overall Ti is trivalent), while in silicate glasses Ti is exclusively tetravalent. Pre-edge peak intensities also indicate that the coordination number of Ti varies from an average V-fold in silicate glass to VI-fold in the Fe–Ti oxides and a mixture between IV and VI-fold coordination in the pyroxenes and olivine, with up to 82% ^[IV]Ti⁴⁺ in the pyroxene. In addition, our results can help to better constrain the Ti³⁺/∑Ti of the lunar mantle phases during magmatic processes and are applied to provide first insights into the mechanisms that may control Ti mass-dependent equilibrium isotope fractionation in lunar mare basalts.     

Geochemistry and zircon U–Pb geochronology constrains late cretaceous plagiogranite intrusions in Mersin ophiolite complex (southern Turkey).

In this study, LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon dating were used to determine the age of the newly discovered plagiogranite suite intruding gabbro and volcanic units of Mersin ophiolites from the Inner Tauride Belt. Obtained U–Pb zircon ages from the plagiogranite yielded crystallization ages of 93.0?±?1.5 to 94.2?±?2.4 Ma (Turonian–Cenomanian) supporting the idea of Late Cretaceous active subduction factory in the Tauride Suture Zone. The plagiogranites are mainly granodioritic, and tonalitic in composition, and contain mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) ranging from 10 to 45 cm in size. The plagiogranites are geochemically defined by low K₂O (0.02–1.03 wt%) and TiO₂ (0.17–1.88 wt%) and comparatively high Na₂O (2.3–10.2 wt%) and SiO₂ (70–78 wt%) compositions together with depletion in Ti, Ta, and Nb. The tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams, trace, and REE-normalized multi-element patterns indicate that the plagiogranites are distinctive calc-alkaline, I-type volcanic arc granites. Plagiogranites are furthermore characterized by the diffuse presence of isotropic pseudomorphic growth of secondary calcic-amphibole (edenite and actinolite) over a pristine not preserved Ca-inosilicate. Inverse geothermobarometry models indicate a secondary amphibole genesis at ca. 600 °C and 1.5–1.7 kbar, suggesting HT-metasomatism affecting the already intruded plagiogranites. While it is already accepted that Mersin ophiolite complex is generated in a supra-subduction zone, this study represents a new contribution on the evolution of the Mersin ophiolite during the Late Cretaceous Neotethys subduction and could shed light on the genesis of plagiogranites in arc-environments.     

四川盆地磨溪—高石梯地区下寒武统龙王庙组颗粒滩特征及分布规律

以四川盆地磨溪—高石梯地区下寒武统龙王庙组颗粒滩为研究对象,结合钻井、测录井、岩心和薄片等资料,对龙王庙组颗粒滩特征、分布规律和主控因素进行了综合分析。研究区内颗粒滩岩石类型主要有两类:一类为具有明显颗粒结构的颗粒云岩,以砂屑云岩或鲕粒云岩为主;另一类为具有残余颗粒结构的晶粒云岩。颗粒滩主要发育向上变浅、粒度变粗的沉积序列,垂向上,与下部细粒沉积物可构成滩间海—颗粒滩、局限潟湖—颗粒滩等沉积相序;横向上,颗粒滩连续性较好,具有大面积连片分布的特征,自西北—东南向发育程度呈逐渐增大的趋势。进一步分析后认为,海平面的相对变化和沉积水体能量高低决定了龙王庙组颗粒滩的发育特征和叠置样式,不同级次海平面的升降变化使颗粒滩发育层位和发育程度得以定型,而沉积时期的古地貌则最终决定了龙王庙组颗粒滩平面分布的差异性。     

Dynamics and collisions of episodic jets from black holes and accretion disk systems

In many astrophysical black hole systems, episodic jets of plasma blobs have been observed, which are much faster and more powerful than continuous jets. A magnetohydrodynamical model was proposed by Yuan et al. to study the formation of episodic jets in Sgr A*. By taking Sgr A* and a stellar mass black hole as examples, we modify the model of Yuan et al. by including the effects of relativity, and further study the relativistic motion and expansion of episodic jets of plasma blobs. Then we study the collision between two consecutive ejections in the modified model, and calculate the magnetic energy released in the collision. Our results show two consecutive blobs can collide with each other, and the released magnetic energy is more than 1050 erg,which supports the idea that a gamma-ray burst is powered by the collision of episodic jets, as suggested by Yuan & Zhang.     

Characterizing motion types of G-band bright points in the quiet Sun

We study the motion of G-band bright points(GBPs)in the quiet Sun to obtain the characteristics of different motion types.A high resolution image sequence taken with the Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope(SOT)is used,and GBPs are automatically tracked by segmenting 3D evolutional structures in a space-time cube.After putting the GBPs that do not move during their lifetimes aside,the non-stationary GBPs are categorized into three types based on an index of their motion type.Most GBPs that move in straight or nearly straight lines are categorized as a straight motion type,a few moving in rotary paths into rotary motion,and the others fall into a motion type we called erratic.The mean horizontal velocities are 2.18±0.08 km s-1,1.63±0.09 km s-1and 1.33±0.07 km s-1for straight,erratic and rotary motion types,respectively.We find that a GBP drifts at a higher and constant velocity during its whole life if it moves in a straight line.However,it has a lower and variational velocity if it moves on a rotary path.The diffusive process is ballistic-,super-and sub-diffusion for straight,erratic and rotary motion types,respectively.The corresponding diffusion index(γ)and coefficients(K)are 2.13±0.09 and 850±37 km2s-1,1.82±0.07 and331±24 km2s-1,and 0.73±0.19 and 13±9 km2s-1.In terms of direction of motion,it is homogeneous and isotropic,and usually persists between neighboring frames,no matter what motion type a GBP is classified as.     

Long-term transit timing monitoring and homogenous study of WASP-32

We report new photometric observations of the transiting exoplanetary system WASP-32 made by using CCD cameras at Yunnan Observatories and Ho Koon Nature Education cum Astronomical Centre, China from 2010 to 2012. Following our usual procedure, the observed data are corrected for systematic errors according to the coarse decorrelation and SYSREM algorithms so as to enhance the signal of the transit events. Combined with radial velocity data presented in the literature, our newly observed data and earlier photometric data in the literature are simultaneously analyzed to derive the physical parameters describing the system by employing the Markov chain Monte Carlo technique. The derived parameters are consistent with the result published in the original paper about WASP-32b, but the uncertainties of the new parameters are smaller than those in the original paper. Moreover, our modeling result supports a circular orbit for WASP-32b. Through the analysis of all available mid-transit times, we have refined the orbital period of WASP-32b; no evident transit timing variation is found in these transit events.     

The north-south asymmetry of solar filaments separately at low and high latitudes in solar cycle 23

We present the results of a study on the north-south asymmetry of solar filaments at low(50°) and high(60°) latitudes using daily filament numbers from January 1998 to November 2008(solar cycle 23). It is found that the northern hemisphere is dominant at low latitudes for cycle 23. However, a similar asymmetry does not occur for solar filaments at high latitudes. The present study indicates that the hemispheric asymmetry of solar filaments at high latitudes in a cycle appears to have little connection with that at low latitudes. Our results support that the observed magnetic fields at high latitudes include two components: one comes from the emergence of the magnetic fields from the solar interior and the other comes from the drift of the magnetic activity at low latitudes.     

Implementation of New OPAL Tables in Eggleton's Stellar Evolution Code

Based on previous works of OPAL, we construct a series of opacity tables for various metallicities Z=0, 0.000 01, 0.000 03, 0.000 1, 0.000 3, 0.001, 0.004, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1. These tables can be easily used in Eggleton's stellar evolution code in place of the old tables without changing the code. The OPAL tables are used for log10(T/K) > 3.95 and Alexander's for log10(T/K) < 3.95. At log10(T/K) = 3.95, the two groups' data fit well for all hydrogen mass fractions. Conductive opacities are included by reciprocal addition according to the formulae of Yakovlev and Urpin. A comparison of 1 and 5 M models constructed with the older OPAL tables of Iglesias and Rogers shows that the new opacities have most effect in the late stages of evolution, the extension of the blue loop during helium burning for intermediate-mass and massive stars.