Boundary layer ion composition at Jupiter during the inbound pass of the Ulysses flyby

During the inbound segment of the Ulysses flyby of Jupiter, there were multiple incursions into the dawnside low-latitude boundary layer, as identified by Bame et al. (Science257, 1539–1542, 1992) using plasma electron data. In the present study, ion composition and spectral measurements provide independent collaborative evidence for the existence of distinct boundary layer regions. Measurements are taken in the energy-per-charge range of 0.6–60 keV/e and involve mass as well as mass-per-charge identification by the Ulysses/SWICS experiment. Ion species of Jovian magnetospheric origin (including O⁺, O²⁺, S²⁺, S³⁺) and sheath origin (including He²⁺ and high charge state CNO) have been directly identified for the first time in the Jovian magnetospheric boundary layer. Protons of probably mixed origin and He⁺ of possibly sheath (ultimately interstellar pickup) origin were also observed in the boundary layer. Sheath-like ions are observed throughout the boundary layer; however, the Jovian ions are depleted or absent for portions of two boundary layer cases studied. Ions of solar wind origin are observed within the outer magnetosphere. and ions of magnetospheric origin are found within the sheath, indicating that transport across the magnetopause boundary can work both ways, at least under some conditions. Although their source cannot be uniquely identified, the proton energy spectrum in the boundary layer suggests a sheath origin for the lower energy protons.     

Minimum on the light curve of the classical symbiotic star AS 338 in 1999

We present our UBVRI photometry and spectroscopy of AS 338 performed in 1999–2000. Another eclipse of the hot component in this symbiotic binary system, the deepest one ever observed, occurred in September 1999. The U brightness declined by ～2^m, the Hβflux decreased by a factor of ～2.3, and the [O III]γ5007 flux did not change. The hot component is eclipsed at orbital phases ?≈0.045–0.057. The U-B color index begins to appreciably fluctuate during an eclipse of the hot component and its circumstellar envelope. About 100 days after a strong outburst of 1995, the mean UBV brightness of AS 338 declined linearly in the ensuing five years at the same rate in all bands (ΔU/Δt≈10^?3 mag/day). The brightness of the outer, uneclipsed parts of the circumstellar envelope also decreased, which is attributable to a reduction in the luminosity of the hot component against the rise in its temperature. The appearance of He II lines has not yet been recorded, though the optical brightness of AS 338 has already dropped by ～2^m after the outburst.     

Close binary EHB stars from SPY

We present the results of a radial velocity (RV) survey of 46 subdwarf B (sdB) and 23 helium-rich subdwarf O (He-sdO) stars. We detected 18 (39%) new sdB binary systems, but only one (4%) He-sdO binary. Orbital parameters of nine sdB and sdO binaries, derived from follow-up spectroscopy, are presented. Our results are compared with evolutionary scenarios and previous observational investigations.     

U/Pb and Pb/Pb zircon ages from granitoid rocks of Wallagga area: constraints on magmatic and tectonic evolution of Precambrian rocks of western Ethiopia

Summary The Precambrian rocks in western Ethiopia consist of high- and low-grade terranes intruded by granitoids with a wide compositional spectrum. The formation ages of these granitoid rocks are, so far, poorly understood. Single-grain zircon Pb/Pb evaporation and conventional U/Pb dating conducted on four granitoids places time constraints on their emplacement and tectonothermal events. Three granitoid magmatic events were identified at 815 Ma, 700–730 Ma, and 620–625 Ma, which were marked by emplacement of the calc-alkaline Ujjukka granite and granodiorite, the anatectic Suqii-Wagga two-mica granite and the Guttin K-feldspar megacrystic granite, and the anorogenic Ganjii monzogranite, respectively. We interpret the 815 Ma age to mark a major magmatic episode in this part of Africa. A tectonothermal event at ∼ 630 Ma preceded the emplacement of the within-plate granitoids at 620–625 Ma. The decrease of ages from the calc-alkaline to anorogenic granitoids suggests a shift of magmatic styles and tectonic setting of the granitoids over a period of 200 million years. The Suqii-Wagga and Guttin granites, representing the granitoid population in the migmatitic terrane, formed as part of the successive evolution of the granitoid magmatism in the region. The presence of xenocrystic zircons of Mesoproterozoic ages in both granitoid populations emplaced into the low-grade volcanosedimentary sequence and the high-grade, often migmatitic, gneisses suggest contribution of pre-Pan-African crust to the origin and evolution of the granitoids. Conventional U/Pb studies of zircons from the Guttin K-feldspar megacrystic granite and the Ganjii monzogranite yielded upper intercept ages of ∼ 3 Ga and ∼ 2 Ga, respectively, possibly indicating the presence of reworked Archean-Proterozoic crustal material.

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Zusammenfassung U/Pb und Pb/Pb Zirkonalter granitoider Gesteine aus dem Gebiet von Wallagga: Hinweise zur magmatischen und tektonischen Entwicklung pr?kambrischer Gesteine in A¨thiopien Das Pr?kambrium im westlichen ?thiopien besteht aus hoch- und niedrigmetamorphen Basement Serien, die von Granitoiden unterschiedlichster Zusammensetzung intrudiert werden. Die Bildungsalter dieser Magmatite sind bisher nur ungenügend bekannt gewesen. Neue Pb/Pb-Evaporations- und konventionelle U/Pb-Datierungen an Einzelzirkonen von vier verschiedenen Plutoniten erlauben nun Rückschlüsse auf deren Intrusionsalter und die damit verbundene tektonische Entwicklung der Region. Drei zeitlich getrennte magmatische Ereignisse lassen sich unterscheiden: Intrusion der kalk-alkalischen Ujjukka Granite um 815 Ma; Bildung der anatektischen Zweiglimmer Granite der Suqii-Wagga Suite um 700–730 Ma; Intrusion der grob porphyrischen K-Feldspat Granite von Guttin und der anorogenen Ganjii Monzogranite um 620–625 Ma. Das 815 Ma Ereignis wird als wichtige magmatische Phase in diesem Teil von Afrika interpretiert. Ein thermisches Ereignis um 630 Ma geht der Platzname von “within-plate” Granitoiden um 620–625 Ma voraus. Die beobachtete Altersabnahme von den kalk-alkalischen zu den anorogenen Granitoiden spricht für eine pr?gnante ?nderung des tektonischen Regimes über einen Zeitraum von ca. 200 Ma. Die Suquii-Wagga und Guttin Granite sind in das hochgradige, migmatische Basement intrudiert. Dies mag für eine sukzessive tektonische Entwicklung dieser Abfolgen sprechen. Ererbte, mesoproterozoische Zirkone deuten auf die Aufarbeitung pr?-panafrikanischer Gesteine hin. Obere Einstichpunkte von den U/Pb Analysen im Altersbereich von ca. 3 Ga in den Guttin Graniten und von ca. 2 Ga in den Ganjii Monzograniten sprechen ebenfalls für die Inkorporation von proterozoischen bis archaischen Krustenkomponenten.

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Received June 7, 2000; accepted October 29, 2000     

The effect of iron availability on the regulation of inorganic carbon acquisition in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi and the significance of cellular compartmentation for stable carbon isotope fractionation

Iron is limiting phytoplankton productivity in large parts of today’s oceans, the so-called HNLC (high nutrient low chlorophyll) areas. It is a key component in photosynthesis during which inorganic carbon fixation in most phytoplankton species is sustained by so-called carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). Here we investigate CCM regulation in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi in response to varying degrees of iron limitation by means of membrane-inlet mass spectrometry. Compared to iron replete conditions rates of both active CO₂ and uptake were markedly reduced under iron limitation leading to significantly diminished growth rates. Moreover, there was a concomitant decrease in CCM efficiency, reflected in an increased CO₂ loss from the cell in relation to carbon fixation. Under such conditions higher values for carbon isotope fractionation (?_p) would be expected. However, direct measurements of ?_p showed that carbon isotope fractionation was insensitive to changes in growth rates and CCM activity. This can be explained by concomitant changes in internal DIC fluxes in and out of the chloroplast as demonstrated with a simple cell model comprising two compartments. Thus, carbon isotope fractionation reflects the ability of phytoplankton to actively control their inorganic carbon acquisition depending on environmental conditions. The insensitivity of carbon isotope fractionation to changes in the availability of iron could be of interest for paleoreconstructions in the HNLC areas of today’s oceans.     

The problem of inherited Ar* in dating impact glass by the Ar/Ar method: Evidence from the Tswaing impact crater (South Africa)

The Tswaing meteorite impact crater is a 1.13 km diameter structure located in the 2.05 Ga Nebo granite of the Bushveld Complex. The impact age had previously been determined by fission track dating to 220 ± 104 ka. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar step-heating and total fusion experiments performed on single- and multi-grain impact glass aliquots gave apparent ages ranging from 1.0 ± 0.3 Ma to 204 ± 6 Ma. These “ages” indicate that the radiogenic Ar derived from the target rocks has not been completely degassed as a result of the impact process, despite fusion of the target material. Results of step-heating experiments imply that the trapped within the glass is located in two distinct reservoirs thought to be the glass matrix and fluid/vapor inclusions (or un-melted residual clasts). Calculations assuming an age of 0.2 ± 0.1 Ma for Tswaing (fission track data) reveal that the amount of inherited ⁴⁰Ar*() relative to the pre-impact concentration varies from 0.015% to 4.15%. The spread defined by likely reflects the various quench rates experienced by the glass, most certainly due to the pre-impact position of the sample relative to the center of the crater. We compare the influence of on the apparent ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determination of five impact structures. Our calculations show that the main characteristic controlling the age offset (for a given proportion of ) is the age difference between the impact and the target rocks (i.e., the ⁴⁰Ar* concentration in the target rock). The buffer effect for a given crater structure can be predicted knowing the age of the basement and having a rough estimation of the age of the crater structure itself. The occurrence of is likely influenced by (1) the degree of polymerization (i.e., silicate structure complexity) of the target rock and presumably related to the diffusivity of Ar in the melt and glass, (2) the Ar partial pressure at the grain boundary, (3) the quantity of energy involved in the impact, and (4) the porosity of the target rocks. For glass that inevitably suffers inherited and/or excess ⁴⁰Ar*, the use of the inverse isochron technique can be appropriate but should be applied with careful statistical treatment.     

Gold–Telluride Mineralization in Pb–Zn–Fe Ores of the Aktash Skarn Deposit (Western Karamazar,Tajikistan)

Geology of Ore Deposits - The article describes magnetite–sulfide assemblages of minerals containing native gold and tellurides in the Pb–Zn–Fe ores of the Aktash skarn deposit in...     

Stress State of the Earth’s Crust in the Western Tien Shan in Central Asia (Uzbekistan): A Mathematical Stress Model

Geotectonics - Seismic and tectonic processes were analyzed, taking into account the dimensions of tectonic structures and geological factors that determine the features of the relationship between...     

Interplay between an axial channel belt,slope gullies and overbank deposition in the Puchkirchen Formation in the Molasse Basin,Austria

Deep‐water sediments in the Molasse Basin, Austria, were deposited in a narrow foreland basin dominated by a large channel belt located between the steep Alpine fold and thrust belt to the south and the gentler northern slope off the Bohemian Massif. Several gas fields occur outside the channel belt, along the outer bend of a large meander. Accumulation of these overbank sediments reflects a complicated interplay between slope accommodation and debris‐flow and turbidity‐flow interaction within the channel. The tectonically oversteepened northern slope of the basin (ca 2 to 3°) developed a regionally important erosional surface, the Northern Slope Unconformity, which can be traced seismically for >100 km in an east–west direction and >20 km from the channel to the north. The slope preserves numerous gullies sourced from the north that eroded into the channel belt. These gullies were ca 20 km long, <1 km wide and ca 200 m deep. As the channel aggraded, largely inactive and empty gullies served as entry points into the overbank area for turbidity currents within the axial channel. Subsequently, debris‐flow mounds, 7 km wide and >15 km long, plugged and forced the main channel to step abruptly ca 7 km to the south. This resulted in development of an abrupt turn in the channel pathway that propagated to the east and probably played a role in forming a sinuous channel later. As debris‐flow topography was healed, flows spread out onto narrow area between the main channel and northern slope forming a broad fine‐grained apron that serves as the main gas reservoir in this area. This model of the overbank splay formation and the resulting stratigraphic architecture within the confined basin could be applied in modern and ancient systems or for subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs where three‐dimensional seismic‐reflection data is limited. This study elucidates the geomorphology of the oversteepened slope of the under‐riding plate and its effects on the sedimentation.