Origin of the hydrocarbon component of carbonaceous chondrites: the star-meteorite connection

We report the results of an experiment that produced a residue which closely matches the hydrocarbon component of the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. This experiment suggests that the parent material of the meteoritic component originated as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon species in carbon stars during their later stages of evolution. The experiments also indicate that the pathway from those formation sites to eventual incorporation into the meteorite parent body involved hydrogenation in a plasma in the solar nebula or in H II regions prior to the solar nebula. This model is consistent with what is known about the meteoritic hydrocarbon component including deuterium abundance, the observation of cosmic infrared emission bands best attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules, and the inherent stability of these molecules that allows their formation in stars and subsequent survival in the interstellar medium.     

Plasma processing of interstellar PAHs into solar system kerogen

Processes resulting in the formation of hydrocarbons of carbonaceous chondrites and the identity of the interstellar molecular precursors involved are an objective of investigations into the origin of the solar system and perhaps even life on earth. We have combined the resources and experience of an astronomer and physicists doing laboratory simulations with those of a chemical expert in the analysis of meteoritic hydrocarbons, in a project that investigated the conversion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) formed in stellar atmospheres into alkanes found in meteorites. Plasma hydrogenation has been found in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Astrophysics Laboratory to produce from the precursor PAH naphthalene, a new material having an IR absorption spectrum (Lee, W. and Wdowiak, T.J., Astrophys. J. 417, L49-L51, 1993) remarkably similar to that obtained at Arizona State University of the benzene-methanol extract of the Murchison meteorite (Cronin, J.R. and Pizzarello, S., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 54, 2859-2868, 1990). There are astrophysical and meteoritic arguments for PAH species from extra-solar sources being incorporated into the solar nebula, where plasma hydrogenation is highly plausible. Conversion of PAHs into alkanes could also have occurred in the interstellar medium. The synthesis of laboratory analogs of meteoritic hydrocarbons through plasma hydrogenation of PAH species is underway, as is chemical analysis of those analogs. The objective is to clarify this heretofore uninvestigated process and to understand its role during the origin of the solar system as a mechanism of production of hydrocarbon species now found in meteorites. Results have been obtained in the form of time-of-flight spectroscopy and chemical analysis of the lab analog prepared from naphthalene.     

云南湖泊的水质及沉积物地球化学

云贵高原上的众多湖泊，其经济意义十分重要，1994年10月，对24个湖泊采集水样和沉积物，室内深入研究后提出每个湖泊化学、物理特性以及区域地质、人类活动对水质和沉积类型的影响。云南构造成因的深水湖泊的水质与浅水溶蚀湖盆有区别。一般来说，后者要比前者更具有高营养积聚，并显示出较敏感的湖滨扰动。即便如此，凡是有大型植物生长的浅水湖泊，其水体都呈低营养质特点。除了重硫酸钠型的程海外，其它湖泊均以Ca 2、Mg 2、HCO3-1离子为特征，可能是由周边区域地质环境及碳酸盐类岩层所决定。特殊的电导性和同位素δ18O呈正相关性表明：此为溶解物和18O均由蒸发作用引起的结果。滇东南大型洗水湖呈18O富态；小型深水湖泊18O呈消减态。降雨汇聚径流量显著多于自深水体的小型浅水湖中的18O也呈消减淡化。同位素证据表明：程海表面5m内的18O在减少，此为蒸发量增加、入湖汇流水体性质发生变化及多样性所致。地表冲刷是毁林、农耕、土壤侵蚀以及工业化等方面的结果。湖泊高丰度营养化物质表明：人类活动已严重影响水质。沉积物中低有机质是因为地表冲刷而使愈来愈多的非碳酸盐类和碎屑物组分混入的结果。需要由环境保护来加以控制，以平衡因经济活动而造成的生态感应和对水质的影响。     

北祁连山中段甘肃肃南奥陶系变质硬柱石蓝闪片岩的发现及其意义

作为蓝片岩最特征矿物组合的硬柱石-蓝闪石类型是确定硬柱石-蓝闪石变质相的依据,是研究板块动力学条件和很低级变质作用的重要对象。最近,作者在甘肃肃南县百泉门至九个泉一带的奥陶系变质火山岩中采集到这种特征的硬柱石蓝闪片岩,并且已得到室内工作的证实。这一组合的蓝片岩不尽在祁连山属首次发现,而且目前在国内也是没有先例的。笔者在继续进行研究的同时,本文且作一简要报导。     

陕西古代金矿开采简史

本文试图总结陕西古代金矿开采史。在北宋时期(960-1127年),陕西采金曾达到较高水平,就年产量而言,小秦岭地区为3500两,汉江流域为400两,商州地区为280两。分析现在已开辟的找金靶区,今后应注意商州及房县(湖北)地区的找金工作。同时还列出史籍中黄金具体产地约70处。     

西准噶尔唐巴勒地区蛇绿岩套岩石化学和稀土元素特征及其地质意义

唐巴勒地区早古生代蛇绿岩带是新疆西准噶尔大洋板块向南(向陆)阶段性俯冲、消亡和塔里木大陆板块向北增生期间的最老遗迹。近几年来,引起了许多从事板块构造研究者的注目,从构造、岩石组合及层序、板块运动模式等方面提出了许多见解。本文试图就蛇绿岩套岩石化学和稀土元素特征方面提出讨论,并对其岩性特点、     

达拉布特蛇绿岩带北亚带中大棍熔岩的地质意义

西准噶尔达拉布特蛇绿岩带绵延近百千米。该带中目前除已探明有铬矿外,还产有黄金,是成矿较好的远景区,因此人们又把它称为“新绿岩带”。笔者在对达拉布特蛇绿岩带南、北两亚带进行初步研究后,感到北亚带大棍地段的基性熔岩具有特殊的地质意义,有必要着重对其进行专门探讨。本文以大棍基性熔岩的稀土和岩石化学资料为基础,与芬兰太古代绿岩带做对比,试图说明它们具有科马提玄武岩性质,意在为该带寻找金矿提供新的依据。