Diffusion and Mixing in Main-Sequence Stars

The element settling which occurs inside stars, also called `microscopic diffusion', due to the combined effect of gravity, thermal gradient, radiative acceleration and concentration gradient, leads to abundance variations which cannot be neglected in the computations of stellar structure. These processes where first introduced to account for abundance anomalies in `peculiar stars', but their importance in the so-called `normal' stars is now fully acknowledged, specially after the evidence of helium settling in the Sun from helioseismology. The reason why abundance variations as large as predicted by microscopic diffusion are not always observed is due to the influence of macroscopic motions, like rotation-induced mixing, or mass loss, which increase the settling time scales. In the present review, I discuss the theories of element settling and rotation-induced mixing and the importance of their coupling. I also give some comments about the links between diffusion processes and asteroseismology.     

Mechanical Heating in Disk-Driven Winds – Thermal Structure & Observational Predictions

Following the work of Garcia et al. (2001a) (GFCB), we compute the thermal properties and ionization structure of magnetically-driven disk winds. The original model's dominant heating function along the jet, ambipolar diffusion, is augmented by a mechanical heating term supposed to arise from weak shocks, as used by (Shang et al., 2002). We add this mechanical heating function to a cold disk wind model and calculate its effect on the jet as a whole. The temperature and ionization of the flow are calculated in the case of cold jet solutions consistent with the underlying accretion disk (Ferreira, 1997). These solutions are compared to those of (GFCB) in order to quantitatively determine the effect of the mechanical heating on the flow. We then use the computed thermal and ionization structures to calculate jet synthetic observations. We find that the addition of mechanical heating leads to higher electron fractions, in turn leading to increased line fluxes and line ratios approaching observed values.     

The Role of the Inclination in the Captures in External Resonances in the Three Body Problem

Interested in the role of the inclination in our results (Jancart and Lemaitre, 2001), we analyze the process of resonance trapping due to general dissipation forces in the frame of the spatial restricted three body problem and in the case of external mean motion resonances. We compute our simulations by using the three-dimensional Extended Schubart Averaging integrator developed by Moons (1994) for all mean motion resonances. We complete it by adding the averaged contributions of general dissipative forces like Murray has proposed in the article (1994). The behavior of the inclination is especially pointed out.     

Updated Toulouse solar models including the diffusion-circulation coupling and the effect of μ-gradients

New solar models are presented, which have been computed with the most recent physical inputs (nuclear reaction rates, equation of state, opacities, microscopic diffusion). Rotation-induced mixing has been introduced in a way which includes the feed-back effect of the μ-gradient induced by helium settling. A parametrization of the tachocline region below the convective zone has also been added in the computations. The sound velocities have been computed in the models and compared to the seismic Sun. Our best model is described in some detail. Besides the new physical inputs, the most important improvement concerns the computations of μ-gradients during the solar evolution and their influence in slowing down rotation-induced mixing. This process can explain why lithium is depleted in the present Sun while beryllium is not, and meanwhile why ³He has not increased at the solar surface for at least 3 Gyrs.     

The Origin of Jets from Young Stars: Steady State Disk Wind Models Confronted to Observations

We discuss in this contribution constraints on the origin of mass-loss from young stars brought by recent observations at high angular resolution (0.1″ = 14 AU) of the inner regions of winds from T Tauri stars. Jet widths and collimation scales, the large extent of the velocity profile as well as the detection of rotation signatures agree with predictions from extended (R _e ≥ 1 AU) magneto-centrifugal disk wind ejection models. Detected poloidal and toroidal velocities imply large ejection efficiencies (ξ ? 0.05, λ ? 10), suggesting that thermal gradients (originating in an accretion heated disk corona for example) play an important role in accelerating the flow.     

New pyrolytic and spectroscopic data on Orgueil and Murchison insoluble organic matter: A different origin than soluble?

Pyrolysis with and without tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), vacuum pyrolysis, and solid state ¹⁵N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to examine the macromolecular insoluble organic matter (IOM) from the Orgueil and Murchison meteorites. Conventional pyrolysis reveals a set of poorly functionalized aromatic compounds, ranging from one to four rings and with random methyl substitutions. These compounds are in agreement with spectroscopic and pyrolytic results previously reported. For the first time, TMAH thermochemolysis was used to study extraterrestrial material. The detection of aromatics bearing methyl esters and methoxy groups reveals the occurrence of ester and ether bridges between aromatic units in the macromolecular network.No nitrogen-containing compounds were detected with TMAH thermochemolysis, although they are a common feature in terrestrial samples. Along with vacuum pyrolysis results, thermochemolysis shows that nitrogen is probably sequestered in condensed structures like heterocyclic aromatic rings, unlike oxygen, which is mainly located within linkages between aromatic units. This is confirmed by solid state ¹⁵N NMR performed on IOM from Orgueil, showing that nitrogen is present in pyrrole, indole, and carbazole moieties.These data show that amino acids are neither derived from the hydrolysis of IOM nor from a common precursor. In order to reconcile the literature isotopic data and the present molecular results, it is proposed that aldehydes and ketones (1) originated during irradiation of ice in space and (2) were then mobilized during the planetesimal hydrothermalism, yielding the formation of amino acids. If correct, prebiotic molecules are the products of the subsurface chemistry of planetesimals and are thus undetectable through astronomical probes.     

A spatial analysis of structural controls on Karst groundwater geochemistry at a regional scale

The coupled spatial investigation of the geometrical and geochemical properties of a chalk karstic aquifer provides information on the degree to which geologic structure controls aquifer functioning and groundwater quality. Major ion concentrations in the chalk aquifer of the Haute-Normandie region (France) were measured at a high spatial resolution (more than 100 sampling sites over a 6000 km² area) and mapped. The first observation is a continuity of the geochemical properties, in spite of the karstic properties of the aquifer principal components analysis of geochemical maps revealed two types of spatial distributions: ions with an autochthonous origin (Ca²⁺, HCO₃), and ions with a principally allochthonous origin (Cl⁻, Na⁺, , ). Mg²⁺ was categorised as both autochthonous (chalk dissolution) and allochthonous (brought in by infiltration of Tertiary deposits). To better understand the spatial distribution of the geochemistry, the aquifer geochemistry was compared to the physical properties of the aquifer, in particular aquifer thickness (representing aquifer geometry) and piezometric level (representing aquifer flow). Use of spatial correlation between the geochemical and the geometrical properties provided insight regarding the directional structure of the data and give evidence of directional relations between geochemical and geometrical properties. The degree of mineralisation (principally composed of Ca²⁺ and ions) increased along the direction of flow, corresponding to an increase in chalk dissolution rate along the flowpath. The steepest mineralisation gradients were related to an increase in the Mg/Ca ratio, evidence of longer residence times and corresponding to zones where aquifer flow capacity is limited because of a decrease of the thickness of the flow section (anticlines or faults). These results highlight the dominant role played by the geometry and the structural context in controlling aquifer geochemistry.     

Heterogeneous distribution of paramagnetic radicals in insoluble organic matter from the Orgueil and Murchison meteorites

An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation was performed on the insoluble organic matter from the Orgueil and Murchison meteorites and on terrestrial coals with similar elemental composition. A complementary electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) study was also carried out. The measured g-factors of the observed paramagnetic radicals in the meteoritic organic matter exhibit a similar correlation with the chemical composition as for the type III (i.e., hydrogen-poor) terrestrial coals. The main result, obtained from EPR saturation and ¹H ENDOR enhancement measurements, showed that the effective local concentration in radicals of about 3 to 4 × 10¹⁹ spin.g⁻¹ in the meteoritic organic matter is much higher than the average concentration, hence the occurrence of radical-rich regions accounting for 5% and 20% of the total volume for Murchison and Orgueil, respectively. This heterogeneity of concentration seems to be unique among natural organic macromolecules. It is proposed that these radical-rich regions correspond to pristine parts of the organic matter synthesized in conditions close to those prevailing in the interstellar medium, and which have survived the hydrothermal process on the parent body.     

Radar experiments in isotropic and anisotropic geological formations (granite and schists)1

In order to understand various aspects of radar wave propagation, a survey of electromagnetic wave behaviour relative to the geological characteristics of the formations prospected was undertaken. The sites chosen for the tests were a granite quarry and an underground schist working. By investigating an electrically resistive isotropic site and a conductive anisotropic site, it was demonstrated that non-conventional use of a radar system (antennae raised, various orientations of the transmitter/receiver, etc.) could improve data quality, and could allow information other than reflector depth to be collected (volume scattering intensity, isotropy, etc.). By studying wave propagation velocities, we underlined the difficulties encountered in establishing a velocity versus depth law, despite recourse to seismic data processing, such as NMO corrections. The results of field experiments, complemented by laboratory measurements of dielectric permittivities, clearly showed anisotropy effects: in the case of a path that is perpendicular to the schistosity plane, an electromagnetic wave propagates more slowly and is more attenuated than a wave parallel to the schistosity plane.