宁芜盆地火山-次火山岩的锆石U-Pb年龄、Hf同位素组成及其地质意义

宁芜火山盆地是长江中下游重要的火山盆地之一,在盆地内自下而上依次发育龙王山组、大王山组、姑山组和娘娘山组火山岩和若干个同源次火山岩或小侵入岩体。本文对宁芜盆地火山-次火山岩进行了详细的锆石U-Pb年龄和Hf同位素地球化学研究。研究结果表明,大王山组粗安岩锆石U-Pb年龄为130.3±0.9Ma,姑山组两个粗安岩锆石U-Pb年龄分别为128.2±1.3Ma和128.5±1.8Ma,另外三个侵入岩年龄分别为127.1±1.2Ma、128.3±0.6Ma和128.2±1.0Ma,均为早白垩纪。综合前人成果,认为长江中下游地区火山盆地内火山活动的时限在135～124Ma之间,不存在侏罗纪岩浆活动。宁芜盆地火山岩和侵入岩的锆石176Hf/177Hf值在0.282502～0.282673范围内,εHf(t)变化为-6.9～-0.7,显示岩浆源自于岩石圈富集地幔部分熔融并在上升过程中受地壳物质的混染,为岩石圈伸展环境的产物。     

Morphology and kinematics in thick box‐peanut bulge galaxies

Both, observational and theoretical results support the close connection between bars and box/peanut‐shaped bulges in spiral galaxies. However, for the sub‐class of thick box/peanut‐shaped bulges, an environmental process instead of an internal mechanism is suggested to account for the prominence of the box/peanut component. In this paper a multiwavelength study of the morphology and the kinematics of a sample of thick box/peanut‐shaped bulges is presented. The results suggest a scenario in which interaction events play a significant role in the history of thick box/peanut‐shaped bulge galaxies. Most likely these sources have experienced a mass infall. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Gamma ray burst studies with THESEUS

Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful transients in the Universe, over–shining for a few seconds all other γ-ray sky sources. Their emission is produced within narrowly collimated relativistic jets launched after the core–collapse of massive stars or the merger of compact binaries. THESEUS will open a new window for the use of GRBs as cosmological tools by securing a statistically significant sample of high-z GRBs, as well as by providing a large number of GRBs at low–intermediate redshifts extending the current samples to low luminosities. The wide energy band and unprecedented sensitivity of the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) and X-Gamma rays Imaging Spectrometer (XGIS) instruments provide us a new route to unveil the nature of the prompt emission. For the first time, a full characterisation of the prompt emission spectrum from 0.3 keV to 10 MeV with unprecedented large count statistics will be possible revealing the signatures of synchrotron emission. SXI spectra, extending down to 0.3 keV, will constrain the local metal absorption and, for the brightest events, the progenitors’ ejecta composition. Investigation of the nature of the internal energy dissipation mechanisms will be obtained through the systematic study with XGIS of the sub-second variability unexplored so far over such a wide energy range. THESEUS will follow the spectral evolution of the prompt emission down to the soft X–ray band during the early steep decay and through the plateau phase with the unique ability of extending above 10 keV the spectral study of these early afterglow emission phases.

     

The population genetic structure of the waratah anemone (Actinia tenebrosa) around New Zealand

The genetic structure of populations is often shaped by the reproductive system and larval properties of the species. The waratah anemone (Actinia tenebrosa) reproduces through both asexual clones, which have very short-distance dispersal, and sexual larvae, which are believed to disperse much greater distances. The impact of this mixed strategy on the New Zealand population structure of Actinia tenebrosa was investigated using microsatellite markers. The analysis incorporated 24 sampling locations from around New Zealand and one Australian location, using four microsatellite markers, n = 420. We observed low connectivity and high genetic differentiation between all locations sampled, with a distinct pattern of isolation by distance. The most distinct grouping of locations sampled was the north-east of the North Island from Cape Reinga to East Cape, which was identified by SAMOVA and STRUCTURE analyses as being moderately diverged from the remainder of the country. A tentative correlation was observed between genetic clustering and biogeographic regionalisation, where the distribution of a number of genetic clusters matched previously defined biogeographic regions. Within each location sampled, large numbers of clones were present and a latitudinal cline was observed in the relative contribution of asexually and sexually generated recruits, with an increase in asexual recruits on the South Island's east coast.     

GRB host galaxies studies with X‐shooter

Gamma‐ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions since the formation of the Universe, associated with the death of massive stars or mergers of compact stellar objects. Several recent striking results strongly support the idea that host galaxies of GRBs are opening a new view on our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, back to the very primordial universe at z ∼ 8. They form a unique sample of galaxies which cover a wide range of redshift, they are typically weak with low mass and unlike other methods they are not selected on luminosity. In recent years, thanks to the support of new generation instruments, multi‐band photometry and spectroscopy allow us to better investigate the properties of these host galaxies (e.g., stellar mass, age, SFR, metallicity), to study their possible evolution and to compare them with field galaxies and other classes of galaxies. GRB host spectroscopy is one of the main science drivers behind the X‐shooter spectrograph. In this paper, we present the first results of the program devoted to Italian‐French GTO multiband spectroscopy of GRB host galaxies with X‐shooter (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

安徽宁芜地区铁氧化物-磷灰石矿床中金云母Ar-Ar定年及其地球动力学意义

铁氧化物-磷灰石型铁矿床是长江中下游成矿带的重要组成部分,对其成岩成矿时限的精确厘定,是理解长江中下游地区中生代大规模成矿作用的动力学演化的关键。本文分别对宁芜盆地南部白象山、和睦山及中部的陶村三个大-中型铁矿床中与磁铁矿密切共生的金云母单矿物进行了Ar-Ar同位素测年,获得白象山矿床金云母Ar-Ar坪年龄为134.9±1.1Ma,对应的反等时线年龄为133±2Ma;和睦山矿床金云母Ar-Ar坪年龄为132.9±1.1Ma,对应的反等时线年龄为133.9±2.4Ma;陶村矿床金云母的反等时线年龄为128±14Ma。该区铁氧化物-磷灰石型矿床与该区火山-次火山岩具有密切的时间联系,成岩成矿时限主要集中于135～126Ma。综合研究表明,长江中下游第二期成岩成矿作用的时限为135～126Ma,对应于岩石圈的大规模快速减薄的地球动力学背景。     

Direct GRB fireball Lorentz factor measurements through REM early afterglow observations

The huge energies involved in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) coupled with the short emission time scales unavoidably imply that the emitting source is moving relativistically, with a speed close to that of light. Here we present the REM telescope observations of the early-time near-infrared light curves of the GRB 060418 and GRB 060607A afterglows. The detection of the afterglow peak provides for the first time a direct measurement of the initial Lorentz factor Γ₀ of the radiating material. We find that the emitting region was indeed highly relativistic in the first seconds after the explosions, with Γ₀∼400. Comparison with the Lorentz factor as determined at later epochs provides direct evidence that the emitting shell is decelerating and confirms that the afterglow emission is powered by the dissipation of bulk kinetic energy. The deceleration radius was inferred to be R _dec≈10¹⁷ cm. This is much larger than the internal shocks radius (believed to power the prompt emission), thus providing further evidence for a different origin of the prompt and afterglow stages of the GRB. Susanna D. Vergani on behalf of the REM collaboration.     

Exploration of the high-redshift universe enabled by THESEUS

Experimental Astronomy - At peak, long-duration gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous sources of electromagnetic radiation known. Since their progenitors are massive stars, they provide a tracer...