The origin and nature of Neptune-like planets orbiting close to solar type stars

The sample of known exoplanets is strongly biased to masses larger than the ones of the giant gaseous planets of the Solar System. Recently, the discovery of two extrasolar planets of considerably lower masses around the nearby Stars GJ 436 and ρ Cancri was reported. They are like our outermost icy giants, Uranus and Neptune, but in contrast, these new planets are orbiting at only some hundredth of the Earth-Sun distance from their host stars, raising several new questions about their origin and constitution. Here we report numerical simulations of planetary accretion that show, for the first time through N-body integrations that the formation of compact systems of Neptune-like planets close to the hosts stars could be a common by-product of planetary formation. We found a regime of planetary accretion, in which orbital migration accumulates protoplanets in a narrow region around the inner edge of the nebula, where they collide each other giving rise to Neptune-like planets. Our results suggest that, if a protoplanetary solar environment is common in the Galaxy, the discovery of a vast population of this sort of ‘hot cores’ should be expected in the near future.     

酸浸法提取硫酸镍的新工艺流程与实践

我国金属镍的生产起步较晚,产量较低,并且有限的镍矿在开采、选矿、冶金中,产出了大量的含处废石、尾石及冶炼炉渣等,开发利用这些废物,搞好镍资源的二次回收,既能减少环境污染,又能获得较好的效益。对青海省拉水峡铜镍矿低品位选矿尾砂进行稀酸浸取提纯,生产结晶硫酸镍产品,镍一次浸出率达75％以上,总回收率近70％。中试流程简单,生产成本较低,产品质量较高,为从低品位镍矿和含镍废料中回收镍提供了范例。     

Preservation of Permo–Triassic low-pressure assemblages in the Cretaceous high-pressure metamorphic Saualpe crystalline basement (Eastern Alps, Austria)

Metapelites and intercalated metapegmatites of the Saualpe crystalline basement, which forms part of the Austroalpine nappe complex in the Eastern Alps, display a polyphase tectonometamorphic history. Here, we focus on the evolution that these rocks underwent prior to Cretaceous (eo‐Alpine) high‐pressure metamorphism and related penetrative deformation. Geothermobarometry on coarse‐grained porphyroclastic parageneses (garnet–biotite–muscovite–plagioclase–sillimanite–quartz), which occur as relics in kyanite–garnet, two‐mica gneiss, yielded 600 °C/0.4 GPa. Results from a corundum‐bearing lithology suggest that higher temperatures may have been reached in very restricted areas. The matrix of these rocks displays intense recrystallization during a pressure‐dominated metamorphic overprint. Microstructures and mineral chemistry indicate that this low‐pressure metamorphism was the first significant metamorphic imprint in these rocks. Mineral relics in all metapelitic rock types reflect low‐pressure conditions for this interkinematic crystallization phase. The distribution, macroscopic and microscopic observations and the mineralogical composition of intercalated metapegmatites point to regionally elevated temperature conditions during their emplacement. Therefore, pegmatite formation is correlated with mineral formation in metapelites. Sm–Nd‐dating of magmatic garnet from the pegmatite gneiss yielded 249 ± 3 Ma, which is interpreted to represent the age of pegmatite‐emplacement and low‐pressure metamorphism in the metapelites. Since the pegmatites are overprinted by mylonitisation and high‐pressure metamorphism, this Permo–Triassic age also sets an upper age‐limit to the eclogite facies metamorphic event, which affected considerable parts of the Saualpe crystalline basement.     

Experiments on instability of columnar vortex pairs in rotating fluid

We present results from a new series of experiments on the geophysically important issue of the instability of anticyclonic columnar vortices in a rotating fluid in circumstances such that the Rossby number exceeds unity. The vortex pair consisting of a cyclonic and an anticyclonic vortex is induced by a rotating flap in a fluid which is itself initially in a state of solid-body rotation. The anticyclonic vortex is then subject to either centrifugal or elliptical instability, depending on whether its initial ellipticity is small or large, while the cyclone always remains stable. The experimental results demonstrate that the perturbations due to centrifugal instability have a typical form of toroidal vortices of alternating sign (rib vortices). The perturbations due to elliptical instability are of the form of sinuous deformation of the vortex filament in the plane of maximal stretching which corresponds to the plane of symmetry for the vortex pair. The initial perturbations in both cases are characterized by a definite wave number in the vertical direction. The characteristics of the unstable anticyclone are determined by the main nondimensional parameter of the flow - the Rossby number. The appearance of both centrifugal and elliptical instabilities are in accord with the predictions of theoretical criteria for these cases.     

Regional recharge assessment in the crystalline bedrock aquifer of the Kenogami Uplands,Canada

Abstract

Estimates of trends of climatic changes at basin and state scales are required for developing adaptation strategies related to planning, development and management of water resources. In the present study, seasonal and annual trends of changes in maximum temperature (T _max), minimum temperature (T _min), mean temperature (T _mean), temperature range (T _range), highest maximum temperature (H _max) and lowest minimum temperature (L _min) have been examined at the basin scale. The longest available records over the last century, for 43 stations covering nine river basins in northwest and central India, were used in the analysis. Of the nine river basins studied, seven showed a warming trend, whereas two showed a cooling trend. The Narmada and Sabarmati river basins experienced the maximum warming and cooling, respectively. The majority of basins in the study area show increasing trend in T _range, H _max and L _min. Seasonal analysis of different variables shows that the greatest changes in T _max and T _mean were observed in the post-monsoon season, while T _min experienced the greatest change in the monsoon season. This analysis provides scenarios of temperature changes which may be used for sensitivity analysis of water availability for different basins, and accordingly in planning and implementation of adaptation strategies.     

地壳内部第二深度空间(5000～10000m)石油与天然气地球物理勘探:化石能源发展的必由之路

任何国家要快速工业化和经济腾飞均必须依赖于大量能源的供给和消耗,当今中国正处在快速发展之际,现已成为世界上化石能源消耗的第二大国,预测在2012年前后在一次性化石能源消耗中将会超过美国,而成为世界上第一能源消耗大国.面临这种必然的格局,我国必须不失时机地、多元化地利用世界能源,同时又必须坚定的立足于本土,建立起安全、可靠和能保证持续供给的能源战略后备基地.对国内外油、气发展势态的综合研究表明：(1)在中国油气的生、储构造和岩性极为复杂、油田整装性差的条件下,一定要正确、认识和厘定双相（陆相+海相）沉积盆地、古老结晶基底和双基混合成因（有机+无机）的理念,以拓展勘探和开发空间;(2)科学理解中国油、气储量和产量的潜力,强化第二深度空间（5000～10000 m）油、气能源的勘探和开发乃本世纪能源发展的必由之路;(3)加强地球物理勘探高、新科学与技术,即新理论、方法和新技术的研究和应用乃是发现深层大型、超大型油气田和提高油田采收率的根本保证.     

日本结晶片岩滑坡的活动特点及与降雨的关系

日本四国地区分布有大量具有独特地质条件和活动特征的结晶片岩滑坡。长期的实地观测结果表明,季节性的集中降雨是影响此类滑坡活动的主要因素。文章基于对此类滑坡活动观测资料和降雨资料的综合分析,阐述了结晶片岩滑坡的活动特点以及集中降雨对其的影响作用。通过对有效雨量和滑坡位移等反映降雨影响和滑坡活动状况参数的分析,揭示了集中降雨与滑坡活动之间的关系,并且确定了对该地区滑坡活动产生影响的降雨特征,为此类滑坡灾害的防治与管理提供了依据和评价指标。     

Calculation of the enrichment of the giant planet envelopes during the “late heavy bombardment”

The giant planets of our solar system possess envelopes consisting mainly of hydrogen and helium but are also significantly enriched in heavier elements relatively to our Sun. In order to better constrain how these heavy elements have been delivered, we quantify the amount accreted during the so-called “late heavy bombardment”, at a time when planets were fully formed and planetesimals could not sink deep into the planets. On the basis of the “Nice model”, we obtain accreted masses (in terrestrial units) equal to for Jupiter, and for Saturn. For the two other giant planets, the results are found to depend mostly on whether they switched position during the instability phase. For Uranus, the accreted mass is with an inversion and without an inversion. Neptune accretes in models in which it is initially closer to the Sun than Uranus, and otherwise. With well-mixed envelopes, this corresponds to an increase in the enrichment over the solar value of 0.033±0.001 and 0.074±0.007 for Jupiter and Saturn, respectively. For the two other planets, we find the enrichments to be 2.1±1.4 (w/ inversion) or 1.2±0.7 (w/o inversion) for Uranus, and 2.0±1.2 (w/ inversion) or 2.7±1.6 (w/o inversion) for Neptune. This is clearly insufficient to explain the inferred enrichments of ∼4 for Jupiter, ∼7 for Saturn and ∼45 for Uranus and Neptune.     

坦桑尼亚莫罗戈罗地区班巴拉维石墨矿床地质特征及找矿标志

班巴拉维石墨矿位于坦桑尼亚克拉通东部的乌萨迦兰造山带内,区域地层变形变质作用强烈。矿区内已发现12条石墨矿带,圈定了16个石墨矿体,估算石墨矿物量超过300万吨,矿床规模达到大型。该矿床类型为沉积变质型矿床,赋矿岩石为元古代乌萨迦兰超群鲁匡古勒组特戈特罗段变质岩,矿石类型为含石墨的片麻岩型,工业类型为粗大鳞片状晶质石墨矿石。本文为探寻适合莫罗戈罗地区的石墨矿勘查方法,通过分析含矿岩系、矿体、矿石及矿体激电异常等矿床地质特征,总结了班巴拉维石墨矿的矿床成因、成矿模式和找矿标志,认为"矿化露头调查+激电剖面测量+钻探深部查证"等技术手段相结合在晶质石墨矿床勘查中能起到良好的找矿效果,论文研究可为相似成矿带石墨矿勘查及同类型矿床找矿提供借鉴作用。     

长白山天池火山区基底结构研究

利用在长白山天池火山区布设的 4条深地震测深剖面和 1个三维地震透射台阵的Pg波资料 ,用有限差分方法反演了该地区的基底速度结构。对该地区的基底速度结构特征及P波速度5 9～ 6 0km/s所对应的结晶基底的界面形态、深度等进行了讨论。反演结果表明 ,长白山天池火山区基底深度变化不大 ,一般为 2 .0～ 3.0km ,最深处位于天池火山口下和二道白河 -池西之间 ;最浅处位于松江附近 ,约为 1.5km。同时发现天池火山口下及二道白河 -池西保护站之间是两处低速区 ,结晶基底深度为 4 .0km ,其中二道白河 -池西保护站之间的低速区对应于地质构造上的地堑构造。提出基底速度横向变化剧烈和基底深度突变的特征可以作为断层存在的一种标志