Neutron Stars with a Quark Core. II. Basic Integral and Structural Parameters

A broad sample of computed realistic equations of state of superdense matter with a quark phase transition is used to construct a series of models of neutron stars with a strange quark core. The integral characteristics of the stellar configurations are obtained: gravitational mass, rest mass, radius, relativistic moment of inertia, and red shift from the star's surface, as well as the mass and radius of the quark core within the allowable range of values for the central pressure. The parameters of some of the characteristic configurations of the calculated series are also given and these are studied in detail. It is found that a new additional region of stability for neutron stars with strange quark cores may exist for some models of the equation of state.     

The late Quaternary tephrostratigraphical record of the San Gregorio Magno basin (southern Italy)

Twenty‐one primary pyroclastic layers were found embedded in the lacustrine sediments of the San Gregorio Magno basin (Southern Apennines). These sand‐sized layers were characterised by a noticeable juvenile fragments content and by a sharp basal contact with the underlying clay and silt sediments. The tephra layers have been correlated with terrestrial counterparts from well‐known eruptive events of the Campanian volcanic area, or with reference layers from deep sea sediment cores and from the Monticchio maar sequence. The investigation of the San Gregorio Magno tephra layers made it possible to deduce that lacustrine sedimentation at San Gregorio Magno basin began before 170k yr BP and lasted at least until the emplacement of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff, which occurred about 15k yr BP. The tephrochronology allowed determination of the varying sedimentation rate that occurred in the basin. Correlation of the lacustrine record with marine sequences has allowed development of a late Quaternary tephrostratotype for southern Italy. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Meteoric water-rock interaction in the lower plate of the Whipple Mountain metamorphic core complex, California

Oxygen isotope ratios, whole rock major and trace element compositions, and petrological characteristics of 52 samples from nine distinct igneous lithologies in the lower plate of the Whipple Mountain metamorphic core complex of south-eastern California indicate that both mylonitic and non-mylonitic lithologies underwent exchange with surface-derived meteoric waters. Broadly granodioritic lithologies are characterized by whole rock δ¹⁸O values that range from 10.6 to 2.6‰. Isotopic compositions of quartz and feldspar mineral separates indicate that quartz has largely retained original igneous compositions but that feldspar has undergone variable and often large ¹⁸O-depletions (up to 6.5‰). Over 4 km of structural relief is exposed in lower plate gneisses below the Whipple detachment fault including non-mylonitic lithologies at shallow structural levels above the mylonite front, and mylonitic gneisses at intermediate to deep levels below the mylonite front. Coupled δ¹⁸O_qtz - δ¹⁸O_Fsp systematics of non-mylonitic and mylonitic andesite to rhyolite dykes from shallow and intermediate structural levels of the lower plate document two episodes of hydrothermal alteration: a high-temperature (>c.600d?C) episode involving a metamorphic or magmatic fluid with δ¹⁸O values ～ 7‰ and a low-temperature (c.350d?C) episode involving low-δ¹⁸O meteoric fluids. All the dykes that document exchange with meteoric fluids are non-mylonitic. Coupled δ¹⁸O_Fsp systematics of non-mylonitic and mylonitic granodioritic gneisses from above and below the mylonite front also document low-temperature (c. 350d? C) exchange with meteoric fluids. The data indicate that infiltration of meteoric fluids occurred as lower plate lithologies were juxtaposed against the base of the faulted upper plate. High-angle normal faults in the upper plate served as the conduits for the downward circulation of surface-derived fluids. Meteoric fluids were able to penetrate across the detachment fault into the lower plate. Uplift rates coupled with independent cooling rates indicate that surface-derived fluids penetrated to a depth of c.4km and possibly as deep as c.8km. Penetration of surface-derived fluid into the ductile deformation regime is not required to explain the low δ¹⁸O values observed in lower plate lithologies of the Whipple Mountain metamorphic core complex.     

Properties of iron at the Earth's core conditions

Summary. The phase diagram of iron up to 330 GPa is solved using the experimental data of static high pressure (up to 11 GPa) and the experimental data of shock wave data (up to 250 GPa). A solution for the highest triple point is found ( P = 280 GPa and T = 5760 K) by imposing the thermodynamic constraints of triple points. This pressure of the triple point is less than the pressure of the inner core–outer core boundary of the Earth. These results indicate that the density of iron at the inner core–outer core boundary pressure is close to 13 g cm⁻³, which lies close to the seismic solutions of the Earth at that pressure. It is thus concluded that the Earth's inner core is very likely to be virtually pure iron in its hexagonal close packed (hcp) phase.
It is shown that four properties of the Earth's inner core determined from seismology are close in value to the corresponding properties of hcp iron at inner core conditions: density, bulk modulus, longitudinal velocity, and Poisson's ratio. The density–pressure profile of hcp iron at inner core conditions matches the density–pressure profile of the inner core as determined by seismic methods, within the spread of values given by recent seismic models.
This indicates that the Earth is slowly cooling, the Earth's inner core is growing by crystallization, and the impurities of the core are concentrated in the outer core. The calculated temperature at the Earth's centre is 6450 K.     

Reporting Bias as a Result of Core Loss at Las Cruces: A Case Study

The most important copper minerals of the Las Cruces deposit in the pyrite belt of southern Spain are supergene enrichment zone sulphides of which chalcocite is the most significant. The deposit is overlain by 140 metres of barren marls and has been explored only by drilling. Drill cores have been split and assayed, but it became clear that there was a substantial problem related to core recovery which affects, in particular, some of the higher grade material. Much of the chalcocite is present in a friable and unconsolidated form and its progressive loss is evident visually in many core samples. The result of this loss of chalcocite is that there is a systematic downward bias on copper assays, leading directly to under-reporting of the copper resource. Studies of the assay data indicate the likely degree of under-reporting, but there is no simple way in which the reported resource estimates can validly be corrected.