Dust formation and survival in supernova ejecta

The presence of dust at high redshift requires efficient condensation of grains in supernova (SN) ejecta, in accordance with current theoretical models. Yet observations of the few well-studied supernovae (SNe) and supernova remnants (SNRs) imply condensation efficiencies which are about two orders of magnitude smaller. Motivated by this tension, we have (i) revisited the model of Todini & Ferrara for dust formation in the ejecta of core collapse SNe, and (ii) followed, for the first time, the evolution of newly condensed grains from the time of formation to their survival – through the passage of the reverse shock – in the SNR. We find that  0.1–0.6  M_⊙  of dust form in the ejecta of 12–40 M_⊙ stellar progenitors. Depending on the density of the surrounding interstellar medium, between 2 and 20 per cent of the initial dust mass survives the passage of the reverse shock, on time-scales of about  4–8 × 10⁴  yr  from the stellar explosion. Sputtering by the hot gas induces a shift of the dust size distribution towards smaller grains. The resulting dust extinction curve shows a good agreement with that derived by observations of a reddened QSO at   z = 6.2  . Stochastic heating of small grains leads to a wide distribution of dust temperatures. This supports the idea that large amounts (∼0.1 M_⊙) of cold dust  ( T ∼ 40   K)  can be present in SNRs, without being in conflict with the observed infrared emission.     

Broad-band optical polarimetric study of IC 1805

We present the BVR broad-band polarimetric observations of 51 stars belonging to the young open cluster IC 1805. Along with the photometric data from the literature, we have modelled and subtracted the foreground dust contribution from the maximum polarization ( P _max) and colour excess [ E ( B − V )]. The mean value of the P _max for intracluster medium and the foreground are found to be 5.008 ± 0.005 and 4.865 ± 0.022 per cent, respectively. Moreover, the mean value of the wavelength of maximum polarization (λ_max) for intracluster medium is 0.541 ± 0.003 μ m, which is quite similar as the general interstellar medium (ISM). The resulting intracluster dust component is found to have negligible polarization efficiency as compared to interstellar dust. Some of the observed stars in IC 1805 have shown the indication of intrinsic polarization in their measurements.     

试论峨眉山玄武岩的地球动力学含义

峨眉山大陆溢流玄武岩是中国唯一被国际学术界认可的、地幔柱成因的大火成岩省。峨眉山玄武岩的主相喷发时间约为260Ma,与二叠纪晚瓜德鲁普期生物灭绝事件的时间相当。地球动力学模拟结果显示,地幔柱活动不仅与超静磁带的产生和结束有密切联系,而且地幔柱活动可能引发生物大灭绝。文中讨论了前人对峨眉山玄武岩的来源、成因以及喷发与持续时间等重要研究进展,并基于新的古地磁研究结果,探讨了峨眉山玄武岩与Kiaman负极性超静磁带(KRS)和二叠纪晚瓜德鲁普期生物灭绝事件的联系以及相应的地球动力学含义。     

扬子地台东南缘上奥陶统五峰组斑脱岩锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

扬子板块东南缘思南地区上奥陶统顶部—下志留统底部地层中普遍发育一层斑脱岩。选取思南县罗湾沱上奥陶统五峰组剖面进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年,获得其年龄加权平均值为449±11Ma,限定了该区域奥陶系—志留系地层沉积年龄,为扬子板块东南缘思南地区奥陶系—志留系界线附近的火山喷发事件、地层年代学研究提供了较可靠的证据。449±11Ma的年龄与扬子板块北西大巴山一带的年龄数据高度吻合,但略晚于华北克拉通西南缘奥陶系顶部斑脱岩的年龄(449.0～465.8Ma)。其所代表的火山活动可能与华夏板块向扬子板块俯冲有关。晚奥陶世—早志留世晚期,多期次的火山喷发事件影响了当时的海洋化学条件、生态圈环境,造成中—晚奥陶世以来的生物灭绝事件及冰川启动。     

浙江煤山二叠-三叠系界线剖面有机和无机碳同位素变化与古环境

浙江长兴煤山 D剖面 196个碳酸盐岩样品无机和有机碳同位素δ13Ccarb和δ13Corg变化趋势表明,煤山地区晚二叠世末为比较封闭的局限海沉积环境,早三叠世初期经局限和开阔海环境交替出现渐变为海水循环良好的广海沉积环境.长兴期的海进作用使海洋初始生产率升高,可能是引起长兴组葆青段碳同位素变重的主要原因;海洋 CO2浓度增高可能是长兴组煤山段δ13Corg出现负漂移的原因.二叠纪末期全球性海平面下降以及火山作用可能是使生态系统崩溃、引起二叠-三叠系 (P- T)界线附近生物绝灭的外部原因,也是使海洋中 12C输入量增加导致过渡层碳同位素变轻的主要原因.二叠纪晚期生物绝灭经历了由渐变到突变的过程.δ13Corg在生物绝灭后才出现大幅度负漂移,可能是由于营光合作用的浮游植物不一定因海洋缺氧以及其他生物的绝灭而停止生长,当海水酸度超过浮游生物忍耐限度时,才导致浮游生物大量死亡.殷坑组δ13Corg和δ13Ccarb呈上升趋势,说明经历过 P- T生物大绝灭后,早三叠世海洋生产率逐渐升高,生物开始复苏.     

瓜德鲁普末期生物灭绝是由峨眉山大火成岩省(LIP)引起的吗?

瓜德鲁普统末期生物灭绝是发生在二叠末期生物灭绝之前的一次独立的生物灭绝事件。该次生物灭绝事件对当时海洋底栖生物危害的严重性曾被认为可与五大生物灭绝事件对生物的影响程度相提并论。近年来,随着地层年龄数据的逐渐增多,地层的年代归属逐渐明朗,瓜德鲁普末期生物灭绝的严重性受到越来越多的质疑。同时,曾被认为是该次生物灭绝的主要原因--峨眉山大火成岩省(LIP)也受到质疑。峨眉山LIP是否仍是该次生物灭绝的主要原因？为了阐明上述问题,文章综述了瓜德鲁普末期生物灭绝、峨眉山LIP的喷发、卡匹敦阶碳、锶同位素变化以及引起该次生物灭绝的主要原因。结合研究数据认为:①瓜德鲁普末期生物灭绝事件对浅海底栖生物的影响不是特别严重,生物多样性减少幅度比五大生物灭绝事件要小;②瓜德鲁普统-乐平统(G-L)界线附近碳同位素负偏受成岩作用和相变的影响较大,卡匹敦阶碳同位素比值的变化存在两次负偏,第一次发生在卡匹敦中期(幅度约为1.0‰至1.5‰),第二次发生在G-L界线(幅度约为1.4‰至2‰);③该次生物灭绝的主要原因很可能不是峨眉山大火成岩省,而可能是大规模海退和海洋缺氧。