B2114+022: a distant radio source gravitationally lensed by a starburst galaxy

We have discovered a radio source (B2114+022) with a unique structure during the course of the JVAS gravitational lens survey. VLA, MERLIN, VLBA and MERLIN+EVN radio maps reveal four compact components, in a configuration unlike that of any known lens system, or, for that matter, any of the ∼15 000 radio sources in the JVAS and CLASS surveys. Three of the components are within 0.3 arcsec of each other while the fourth is separated from the group by 2.4 arcsec. The widest separation pair of components have similar radio structures and spectra. The other pair also have similar properties. This latter pair have spectra which peak at ∼5 GHz. Their surface brightnesses are much lower than expected for synchrotron self-absorbed components.
Ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope optical observations show two galaxies ( z =0.3157 and 0.5883) separated by 1.25 arcsec. The lower redshift galaxy has a post-starburst spectrum and lies close to, but not coincident with, the compact group of three radio components. No optical or infrared emission is detected from any of the radio components down to I =25 and H =23 . We argue that the most likely explanation of the B2114+022 system is that the post-starburst galaxy, assisted by the second galaxy, lenses a distant radio source producing the two wide-separation images. The other two radio components are then associated with the post-starburst galaxy. The combination of the angular sizes of these components, their radio spectra and their location with respect to their host galaxy still remains puzzling.     

The development of volcanic hosted massive sulfide and barite–gold orebodies on Wetar Island, Indonesia

Wetar Island is composed of Neogene volcanic rocks and minor oceanic sediments and forms part of the Inner Banda Arc. The island preserves precious metal-rich volcanogenic massive sulfide and barite deposits, which produced approximately 17 metric tonnes of gold. The polymetallic massive sulfides are dominantly pyrite (locally arsenian), with minor chalcopyrite which are cut by late fractures infilled with covellite, chalcocite, tennantite–tetrahedrite, enargite, bornite and Fe-poor sphalerite. Barite orebodies are developed on the flanks and locally overly the massive sulfides. These orebodies comprise friable barite and minor sulfides, cemented by a series of complex arsenates, oxides, hydroxides and sulfate, with gold present as <10 m free grains. Linear and pipe-like structures comprising barite and iron-oxides beneath the barite deposits are interpreted as feeder structures to the barite mineralization. Hydrothermal alteration around the orebodies is zoned and dominated by illite–kaolinite–smectite assemblages; however, local alunite and pyrophyllite are indicative of late acidic, oxidizing hydrothermal fluids proximal to mineralization. Altered footwall volcanic rocks give an illite K–Ar age of 4.7±0.16 Ma and a ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 4.93±0.21 Ma. Fluid inclusion data suggest that hydrothermal fluid temperatures were around 250–270°C, showed no evidence of boiling, with a mean salinity of 3.2 wt% equivalent NaCl. The ³⁴S composition of sulfides ranges between +3.3 and +11.7 and suggests a significant contribution of sulfur from the underlying volcanic edifice. The ³⁴S barite data vary between +22.4 and +31.0, close to Miocene seawater sulfate. Whole rock ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr analyses of unaltered volcanic rocks (0.70748–0.71106) reflect contributions from subducted continental material in their source region. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr barite data (0.7076–0.7088) indicate a dominant Miocene seawater component to the hydrothermal system. The mineral deposits formed on the flanks of a volcanic edifice at depths of ~2 km. Spectacular sulfide mounds showing talus textures are localized onto faults, which provided the main pathways for high-temperature hydrothermal fluids and the development of associated stockworks. The orebodies were covered and preserved by post-mineralization chert, gypsum, Globigerina-bearing limestone, lahars, subaqueous debris flows and pyroclastics rocks.     

From Classical To Statistical Ocean Dynamics

Traditional ocean modeling treats fields resolved on the model grid according to the classical dynamics of continua. Variability on smaller scales is included through sundry eddy viscosities, mixing coefficients and other schemes. In this paper we develop an alternative approach based on statistical dynamics. First, we recognize that we treat probabilities of flows, not the flows themselves. Modeled dependent variables are the moments (expectations) of the probabilities of possible flows. Second, we address the challenge to obtain the equations of motion for the moments of probable flows rather than the (traditional) equations for explicit flows. For linear terms and on larger resolved scales, the statistical equations agree with classical dynamics where those of traditional modeling works well. Differences arise where traditional modeling would relegate unresolved motion to eddy viscosity, etc.. Instead, changes of entropy (<-log P> over the probability distribution of possible flows) with respect to the modeled moments act as forcings upon those moments. In this way we obtain a consistent framework for specifying the terms which, traditionally, represent subgridscale effects. Although these statistical equations are close to the classical equations in many ways, important differences are also evident; here, two phenomena are described where the results differ. We consider eddies interacting with bottom topography. It is seen that traditional eddy viscosity and/or topographic drag, which would reduce large scale flows toward rest, are wrong. The second law of thermodynamics is violated; the arrow of time is running backwards! From statistical dynamics, approximate corrections are obtained, yielding a practical improvement to the fidelity of ocean models. Another phenomenon occurs at much smaller scales in the turbulent mixing of heat and salt. Even when both heat and salt are stably stratifying, their rates of turbulent transfer should differ. This suggests a further model improvement.     

Shoreface tongue geometry constrains history of relative sea-level fall: examples from Late Cretaceous strata in the Book Cliffs area, Utah

Progradational shoreface tongues preserve a near-complete depositional record of relative sea-level highstands, falls and lowstands. Two distinct styles of progradational shoreface tongue are examined in an extensive outcrop and subsurface dataset from Late Cretaceous strata of the Book Cliffs area, Utah, representing (i) highstand through attached lowstand progradation and (ii) highstand through detached lowstand progradation. Using this dataset, key geometrical attributes of the shoreface tongues and their internal facies architecture are identified and quantified that enable the reconstruction of relative sea-level fall history. For example, attached, wave-dominated lowstand shoreface deposits record a slow (0.2– 0.3 mm yr^–1), low-magnitude (> 14 m) relative sea-level fall punctuated by minor rises. Detached, weakly wave-influenced lowstand shoreface deposits record a more rapid (0.4–0.5 mm yr^–1), high-magnitude (> 45 m) relative sea-level fall synchronous with a marked change in sediment delivery and depositional process regime at the shoreline.     

A numerical model of a solar flare based on electron beam heating of the chromosphere

There are two parts to this paper. In the first we calculate the hydrodynamic response of the solar atmosphere to the injection of an intense beam of electrons in a numerical simulation of a solar flare. In the second we predict the spectroscopic consequences of the hydrodynamic behaviour calculated in the first part. The hydrodynamics is predicted by solving the equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. The latter is expressed as two temperature equations; one for the electrons and the other for the neutral atoms and positive ions of hydrogen. The equations are solved in one dimension and the geometric form is of a semi-circular loop having its ends in the photosphere. The results show how the loop is filled at supersonic speed with plasma at temperatures characteristic of flares. At the same time a compression wave is predicted to propagate down towards the photosphere. After the heating pulse stops, the plasma that has risen into the loop, starts to decay and return to the condition it was in before the pulse started. In predicting the spectrum that would be emitted by such a plasma calcium was chosen for illustration. The first and main part of this calculation was setting up and solving the time-dependent equations of ionization/recombination. In order to provide a standard for comparison the same ionization and recombination rate coefficients are used to predict the steady-state distribution of populations of ionization stages. This is then compared with the distribution found from the time-dependent solution and shows that there is a negligibly small time lag predicted by the time-dependent result. However the more significant comparisons to make are between the temperatures of the peak abundances of the various ions under the assumptions of steady-state and time-dependent ionization. For the particular circumstances chosen here the temperature differences are predicted to be in the neighbourhood of 10% or less and in view of the overall accuracy of the atomic data are not significant. It would appear therefore that the much simpler assumption of steady-state ionization balance leads to results of acceptable accuracy for the particular case considered.     

Volcanism in Mare Fecunditatis and Mare Crisium: Ar-Ar age studies

The laser ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating technique has been applied to five Luna 16 basalt fragments and one impact glass, and nine Luna 24 basalt fragments and one breccia. The textures of these basalts are fine-grained ophitic and coarse-grained basalts. The samples contain high levels of solar and lunar atmospheric argon acquired during their residence on the lunar surface. These trapped argon components are predominantly released at low temperature steps and can be distinguished from radiogenic and cosmogenic released at intermediate and high temperature steps. The apparent ages obtained for Luna 16 samples span a narrow range of 3.29 to 3.38 Ga. A young age of 0.988 Ga was obtained for a basaltic impact glass indicating the age of an impact event in the vicinity of Luna 16 landing site. The ages obtained for Luna 24 samples suggest the existence of at least three periods of volcanism occurring over a protracted interval of between 3.45 and 2.52 Ga. The long period of volcanism suggested for the Mare Crisium was likely due to a combination of geophysical and geochemical features in the surrounding and underlying areas of the Crisium Basin. Attempts at dating three Luna 20 samples were inconclusive due to their high trapped argon contents.     

Sedimentary macrofossil records reveal ecological change in English lakes: implications for conservation

Aquatic macrophytes play a key role in providing habitat, refuge and food for a range of biota in shallow lakes. However, many shallow lakes have experienced declines in macrophyte vegetation in recent decades, principally due to eutrophication. As changes in macrophyte composition and abundance can affect overall ecological structure and function of a lake, an assessment of the timing and nature of such changes is crucial to our understanding of the wider lake ecosystem. In the typical absence of historical plant records, the macro-remains of macrophytes preserved in lake sediments can be used to assess long-term changes in aquatic vegetation. We generated recent (150–200 years) plant macrofossil records for six English lakes subject to conservation protection to define past macrophyte communities, assess trajectories of ecological change and consider the implications of our findings for conservation targets and strategies. The data for all six lakes reveal a diverse submerged macrophyte community, with charophytes as a key component, in the early part of the sedimentary records. The stratigraphies indicate considerable change to the aquatic vegetation over the last two centuries with a general shift towards species more typically associated with eutrophic conditions. A common feature is the decline in abundance of low-growing charophytes and an increase in tall canopy-forming angiosperms such as fine-leaved Potamogeton species, Zannichellia palustris and Callitriche species. We hypothesise, based on findings from long-term datasets and palaeoecological records from enriched shallow lakes where plants are now absent, that the observed shifts provide a warning to managers that the lakes are on a pathway to complete macrophyte loss such that nutrient load reduction is urgently needed. It is the sound understanding of present-day plant ecology that affords such reliable interpretation of the fossil data which, in turn, provide valuable context for current conservation decisions.