IRAS 22036+5306: an Al2O3 oxide-dominated post-AGB star

Radiative transfer modelling of the Infrared Space Observatory ( ISO ) spectrum of IRAS 22036+5306 has shown that its unusual 11-μm band can be suitably modelled with an alumina-olivine mixture substantially dominated by the former. The results of this work add further credence to recent findings that significant amounts of Al  ₂O₃  dust grains are present in the dust shells of stars near or beyond the tip of the asymptotic giant branch. Indeed, in the case of IRAS 22036+5306, Al  ₂O₃  dominates the dust composition to the extent that it shifts the 9.8-μm band due to amorphous silicates to 11 μm. IRAS 22036+5306 may be an unusual case in that the inner dust torus is maintained at a sufficiently high temperature for Al  ₂O₃  condensation, but not silicate.     

Inclination- and dust-corrected galaxy parameters: bulge-to-disc ratios and size–luminosity relations

While galactic bulges may contain no significant dust of their own, the dust within galaxy discs can strongly attenuate the light from their embedded bulges. Furthermore, such dust inhibits the ability of observationally determined inclination corrections to recover intrinsic (i.e. dust-free) galaxy parameters. Using the sophisticated 3D radiative transfer model of Popescu et al. and Tuffs et al., together with the recent determination of the average face-on opacity by Driver et al. in nearby disc galaxies, we provide simple equations to correct (observed) disc central surface brightness and scalelengths for the effects of both inclination and dust in the B , V , I , J and K passbands. We then collate and homogenize various literature data sets and determine the typical intrinsic scalelengths, central surface brightness and magnitudes of galaxy discs as a function of morphological type. All galaxies have been carefully modelled in their respective papers with a Sérsic   R ^{1/ n}   bulge plus an exponential disc. Using the bulge magnitude corrections from Driver et al., we additionally derive the average, dust-corrected, bulge-to-disc flux ratio as a function of galaxy type. With values typically less than 1/3, this places somewhat uncomfortable constraints on some current semi-analytic simulations. Typical bulge sizes, profile shapes, surface brightness and deprojected densities are provided. Finally, given the two-component nature of disc galaxies, we present luminosity–size and (surface brightness)–size diagrams for discs and bulges. We also show that the distribution of elliptical galaxies in the luminosity–size diagram is not linear but strongly curved.     

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。     

Endolithic fungi: A possible killer for the mass extinction of Cretaceous dinosaurs

Mycelium-like structures found under ESEM within radial sections of fragmental dinosaur eggshells would be the endolithic fungi coexistent with dinosaur eggs in the upper part of the Late Cretaceous Hugang Formation from the Wenjiaping section of Wenxian, Danjiangkou, northwestern Hubei, Central China. The endolithic fungi selectively occurred in the bad biomineral zone within the columnar layer of the eggshells, where the crowded endolithic fungi penetrated the columnar layer at near-vertical or near-horizontal angles. The endolithic fungi are needle-like, ribbon-like and silk-like, and 5-18 μm long, 0.3-0.5 μm wide at their base, with pointed tip, and are unbranched. The hyphae are mainly composed of oxygen, carbon and calcium, and are with minor sodium, potassium, chlorine and sulfur. The en-dolithic fungi and host have the same characters in lithification, fracture and main chemical composi-tion. We suggested that the episode endolithic fungi invading dinosaur eggs may have taken place in the interval between after formation of dinosaur eggshells and before their petrifaction and that dino-saur eggs invaded by endolithic fungi would not be normally incubated or would only be incubated into venerable and pathologic baby dinosaurs to be easily to aborted and contributed to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of Cretaceous.     

Devonian Frasnian-Famennian transitional event deposits of Guangxi, South China and their possible tsunami origin

A suite of event deposits, isochronous and interrelated in origin, occurs widely near the Frasnian- Famennian boundary in Guangxi, South China. It is mainly distributed in the facies areas of the platform-margin slope and inter-platform rift-trough. The rudstone or calcirudite occur in the Liujing section of Hengxian and Luoxiu and Baqi sections of Xiangzhou in the facies area of platform-margin slope. The turbidites are observed in the sections of Yangdi and Baisha of Guilin, Du'an of Debao, Nandong and Sanli of Wuxuan, Xiangtian, Ma'anshan of Xiangzhou, Nayi of Chongzuo, Yunpan of Shanglin in the facies area of inter-platform rift-trough. The massive homogenites occur in sections of Mangchang, Luofu and Road from Nandan to Tian'e and Ma'anshan etc in the facies area of inter-platform rift-trough. Herein event deposits can be correlated in stratohorizon to the turbidite in the bottom of the Lower triangularis Zone in Hony railroad cut of Belgium, Devils Gate of Nevada, USA, Atrous of Morocco, South Urals and Fore-Kolyma of northeastern Siberia of Russia, and erosional discontinuities and brecciation in the Frasnian-Famennian boundary in South Polish-Moravian shelf. The event deposits could be caused by a violent tsunami related to bolide impacts into ocean.     

Coupling relationships between brachiopods and Girvanella during the Late Devonian F-F transition in Guilin, South China

The abundance curves derived from area proportions of brachiopods and Girvanella in the thin sections from the Yangdi section, South China, exhibits complex relationships during the Late Devonian Frasnian-Famennian transition. The living activity of brachiopods such as grazing and borrowing did great damage to the growth of Girvanella. However, there was more to just a mere a survival competing relationship between them, Girvanella actually improved marine environments by oxygenating the dysoxic ambient sea-water through photosynthesis in the lower Kellwasser Horizon. Profited from this improvement brachiopods' abundance increased subsequently and suppressed Girvanella again. Nonetheless, without Girvanella's photosynthesis, brachiopods were wiped out by the farther anoxic environments in the upper Kellwasser Horizon. The complex relationships between Girvanella and brachiopods may be a key to unlocking the relationships between geomicrobes and metazoans in the geological overturn periods.     

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。