Fast rotation of neutron stars and equation of state of dense matter

Fast rotation of compact stars (at sub-millisecond period) and, in particular, their stability, are sensitive to the equation of state (EOS) of dense matter. Recent observations of XTE J1739-285 suggest that it contains a neutron star rotating at 1122 Hz. At such rotational frequency the effects of rotation on star’s structure are significant. We study the interplay of fast rotation, EOS, and gravitational mass of a sub-millisecond pulsar. We discuss the EOS dependence of spin-up to a sub-millisecond period, via mass accretion from a disk in a low-mass X-ray binary.     

Effect of reproductive state and sex on movement and food consumption of western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) in a tank environment

The catchability of western rock lobsters (Panulirus cygnus) during the spawning season (October and November) may be affected by their reproductive state. In this study, movement and food consumption of males and females of different reproductive states held in laboratory tanks were measured as proxies for catchability. Density of lobsters was found to influence both movement and food consumption. Solitary animals and, to a lesser extent, two lobsters per tank, were more sedentary and consumed significantly less food than animals at a density of three or four specimens per tank. Tests using three animals per tank confirmed that mature, unmated, and ovigerous females carrying early stage eggs moved more frequently away from their shelters than males or females carrying late stage eggs (P < 0.0001, d.f. = 3). Further, unmated females and females with early stage eggs recorded significantly higher food consumption (P < 0.0061, d.f. = 3) compared with males or females carrying late stage eggs. The greater time spent away from shelter and also food consumption make unmated females and females with early stage eggs likely to be more catchable than males or females with late stage eggs. As catchability is commonly used to obtain population estimates from survey data, these results have implications for surveys which use catch rates of breeding animals as indicators of egg production.     

Retracking of Jason-1 Data

We present the results of retracking 18 cycles (15 from the Jason-TOPEX collinear period) of Jason-1 data. We used the retracking method of Rodriguez which simultaneously solves for all relevant waveform parameters using a 26 Gaussian model of the altimeter point target response. We find significant differences from the Jason-1 Project retracking in the key parameters of range and significant wave height (SWH) in the second version of the Project SGDRs. The differences from the Jason-1 data have a strong dependence on off-nadir angle and some dependence on SWH. The dependence of range on SWH is what is called sea state bias. The retracking technique also estimates surface skewness. For Jason-1 with its very clean waveforms we make the first direct estimates of the skewness effect on altimeter data. We believe that the differences found here and thus in overall sea surface height are the result of the standard project processing using a single Gaussian approximation to the Point Target Response (PTR) and not solving simultaneously for off nadir angle. We believe that the relatively large sea state bias errors estimated empirically for Jason-1 during the cal/val phase result from sensitivity of quantities, particularly SWH, in project GDRs to off nadir angle. The TOPEX-Jason-1 bias can be determined only when a full retracking of Jason-1 is done for the collinear period.     

Influence of salinity on permeability characteristics of marine sediments

Abstract

Laboratory tests were conducted on compacted marine sediments to study the effect of salt concentration of permeating fluid on its permeability characteristics. Deep sea sediment samples were collected from water depths varying from 3700 to 4500 m off Mauritius coast. Liquid limit and plasticity index varied widely from 45 to 75 and 10 to 35, respectively. Permeability was found at different void ratios with distilled water and 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 N NaCl solutions as permeating fluid. It was found that permeability increases with an increase in salt concentration for a given void ratio. This is explained by diffused double layer theory. Also, the rate of increase in permeability decreases with increase in salt concentration. The effect of salt concentration seemed to be less at higher void ratios.     

Diagnosing snow accumulation errors in a rain‐snow transitional environment with snow board observations

Diagnosing the source of errors in snow models requires intensive observations, a flexible model framework to test competing hypotheses, and a methodology to systematically test the dominant snow processes. We present a novel process‐based approach to diagnose model errors through an example that focuses on snow accumulation processes (precipitation partitioning, new snow density, and snow compaction). Twelve years of meteorological and snow board measurements were used to identify the main source of model error on each snow accumulation day. Results show that modeled values of new snow density were outside observational uncertainties in 52% of days available for evaluation, while precipitation partitioning and compaction were in error 45% and 16% of the time, respectively. Precipitation partitioning errors mattered more for total winter accumulation during the anomalously warm winter of 2014–2015, when a higher fraction of precipitation fell within the temperature range where partition methods had the largest error. These results demonstrate how isolating individual model processes can identify the primary source(s) of model error, which helps prioritize future research.     

Lermontovskoe Tungsten Skarn Deposit: the Oldest Mineralization in the Sikhote-Alin Orogen, Far East Russia

Abstract. Lermontovskoe tungsten skarn deposit in central Sikhote-Alin is concluded to have formed at 132 Ma in the Early Cretaceous, based on K-Ar age data for muscovite concentrates from high-grade scheelite ore and greisenized granite. Late Paleozoic limestone in Jurassic - early Early Cretaceous accretionary complexes was replaced during hydrothermal activity related to the Lermontovskoe granodiorite stock of reduced type. The ores, characterized by Mo-poor scheelite and Fe^3+- poor mineral assemblages, indicate that this deposit is a reduced-type tungsten skarn (Sato, 1980, 1982), in accordance with the reduced nature of the granodiorite stock.
The Lermontovskoe deposit, the oldest mineralization so far known in the Sikhote-Alin orogen, formed in the initial stage of Early Cretaceous felsic magmatism. The magmatism began shortly after the accretionary tectonics ceased, suggesting an abrupt change of subduction system. Style of the Early Cretaceous magmatism and mineralization is significantly different between central Sikhote-Alin and Northeast Japan; reduced-type and oxidized-type, respectively. The different styles may reflect different tectonic environments; compressional and extensional, respectively. These two areas, which were closer together before the opening of the Japan Sea in the Miocene, may have been juxtaposed under a transpressional tectonic regime after the magmatism.     

砂质碎屑储层钙质夹层形成机理及其主控因素分析

砂岩储层中局部钙的富集是影响储层物性的重要因素之一,因此揭示钙形成的主控因素及形成机理,对油田后期的高效开发无疑具有重要意义。在砂质碎屑岩中,钙的富集一般以"钙尖"的形式产出,有顶底钙形式、也有团块状等等。本文通过物理化学分析手段,剖析钙离子的来源,钙离子富集条件及钙质沉淀机理及其主控因素。研究结果表明,钙离子主要在同生、表生与深埋成岩作用期析出,各类酸性水是其催化条件。在同生与表生作用期,在湖(海)平面下降,河道变迁等条件下,通过蒸发作用,化学反应平衡左移,形成含钙化合物沉淀。利用苏里格气田东区目的层丰富的地下水地球化学组成分析资料,经综分析表明,目的层钙质夹层形成地质条件复杂,为深埋成岩、同生与表生混合作用下的产物,其中深埋成岩作是其主要形成时期,而其余少量钙质夹层则是在同生或表生期形成,并进一步明确了深埋成岩作用是苏里格气田东区钙质夹层富集的主控因素。     

颗粒破碎对煤矸石渗透性能的影响

采用标准试验方法求得筑坝用煤矸石的最大干密度和相应的最优含水量。试验结果表明,击实作用使煤矸石的粗大颗粒发生破碎,导致其粒度组成改变,颗粒级配进一步趋于良好,有利于碾压密实。当粗粒质量分数大于60%时,煤矸石的破碎程度明显提高。当粗粒质量分数小于40%时,煤矸石的工程特性主要由细颗粒的性质决定。煤矸石的渗透系数和孔隙比之间存在指数关系。随细颗粒含量的增加,煤矸石的渗透性将显著降低。     

中地壳的地球化学动力学和矿石成因

笔者重点进行了大于300℃——在近临界区至超临界区条件下的硅酸盐矿物与水反应动力学实验。矿物(钠长石Ab、透辉石Di、阳起石Act和磁铁矿Mt)的溶解反应动力学实验是使用流体通过叠层反应器的开放体系在25～400℃和22MPa下完成的。实验发现矿物在300℃至400℃范围,在跨越水临界点时出现反应速率的涨落。各种多金属氧化物硅酸盐与水反应时,各个元素溶解到溶液里的释放速率一般不一样,常称为一致溶解作用。但是,在近300℃变为一致溶解作用。实验发现在22MPa时硅酸盐矿物的最大溶解反应速率多是在300℃,如硅的最大释放速率是在300℃。其余元素如Na、K、Mg、Ca、Fe、Al等释放速率在<300℃22MPa时都高于硅的释放速率,在>300℃时硅的释放速率要高于其它元素的释放速率。确切地说,金属与氧之间的键的性质决定了它们(金属氧化物)与水之间反应速率。在一般情况下,Na-Obr,Ca-Obr,Mg-Obr,Al-Obr和Si-Obr的键桥(br),它们之间相对地由具有离子键性质逐步变为具有极性键的性质。由常温常压到亚临界区(300～374℃22MPa),再到大于临界点374℃、22MPa进入超临界区,水的性质随温度、压力变化。水由容易溶解离子键逐渐变为容易打破极性键。笔者还研究了黑钨矿、锡石(玄武岩、花岗闪长岩)与水在250～400℃条件下的反应动力学过程,得出了相同的结果。实验均发现在跨越水临界点时矿物(或岩石)与水反应的动力学涨落。这些实验结果可以用于说明中地壳上部的水/岩相互作用的特征。发生于中地壳的水、岩相互作用大多是在300～450℃和20～50MPa条件下进行的。各地区的地壳厚度不一,中地壳温度压力并不完全相同。模拟中地壳条件下水/岩相互作用实验,目的主要是研究矿物(或岩石)在300～450℃条件下反应动力学过程。已有热液矿床矿物流体包体数据表明:有一批矿床的主要矿石形成于300～500℃,低于NaCl H2O溶液临界线的条件。中地壳的流体处于由亚临界态跨越临界态,进入超临界流体太的演化过程。这种流体的性质变化会引起水/岩相互作用的反应动力学涨落和矿石大量沉淀。