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Abstract
The diffusion kinetics of He and Ne in four amphibole specimens have been experimentally determined using stepwise degassing analysis of samples previously irradiated with energetic protons, and Arrhenius relationships have been fit to these data. The primary finding is that He and Ne diffusivities are systematically lower in amphiboles that have higher concentrations of unoccupied ring sites, suggesting that unoccupied ring sites act as traps for migrating noble gases. Ring site influence of noble gas diffusivity in amphiboles has substantial implications for 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology applied to these phases and the efficiency of noble gas recycling in subduction zones. These findings are consistent with the correlation between noble gas solubility and the concentration of unoccupied ring sites in amphibole (Jackson et al., 2013a, 2015) but are inconsistent with the ionic porosity model for noble gas diffusion (Fortier and Giletti, 1989; Dahl, 1996). Rather, these findings suggest that the topology of ionic porosity and absolute volume of ionic porosity compete in determining the rate at which noble gases diffuse. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Abstract
Measurements of Xe isotope ratios in ocean island basalts (OIB) suggest that Earth's mantle accreted heterogeneously, and that compositional remnants of accretion are sampled by modern, high-He-3/He-4 OIB associated with the Icelandic and Samoan plumes. If so, the high-He-3/4(H)e source may also have a distinct oxygen isotopic composition from the rest of the mantle. Here, we test if the major elements of the high-He-3/He-4 source preserve any evidence of heterogeneous accretion using measurements of three oxygen isotopes on olivine from a variety of high-He-3/(4) He OIB locations. To high precision, the Delta O-17 value of high-He-3/He-4 olivines from Hawaii, Pitcairn, Baffin Island and Samoa, are indistinguishable from bulk mantle olivine (Delta O-17(Bulk Mantle) - Delta O-17(High3He/4He) olivine = -0.002 +/- 0.004 (2 x SEM)parts per thousand). Thus, there is no resolvable oxygen isotope evidence for heterogeneous accretion in the high-He-3/(4) He source. Modelling of mixing processes indicates that if an early-forming, oxygen-isotope distinct mantle did exist, either the anomaly was extremely small, or the anomaly was homogenised away by later mantle convection.
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Abstract
Visible to near-infrared (V-NIR) remote sensing observations have identified spinel in various locations and lithologies on the Moon. Experimental studies have quantified the FeO content of these spinels (Jackson et al. 2014), however the chromite component is not well constrained. Here we present compositional and spectral analyses of spinel synthesized with varying chromium contents at lunar-like oxygen fugacity (f(o2)). Reflectance spectra of the chromium-bearing synthetic spinels (Cr# 1-29) have a narrow (similar to 130 nm wide) absorption feature centered at similar to 550 nm. The 550 nm feature, attributed to octahedral Cr3+, is present over a wide range in iron content (Fe# 8-30) and its strength positively correlates with spine chromium content [ln(reflectance(min)) = -0.0295 Cr# -0.3708]. Our results provide laboratory characterization for the V-NIR and mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral properties of spinel synthesized at lunar-like f(o2). The experimentally determined calibration constrains the Cr# of spinels in the lunar pink spinel anorthosites to low values, potentially Cr# < 1. Furthermore, the results suggest the absence of a 550 nm feature in remote spectra of the Dark Mantle Deposits at Sinus Aestuum precludes the presence of a significant chromite component. Combined, the observation of low chromium spinels across the lunar surface argues for large contributions of anorthositic materials in both plutonic and volcanic rocks on the Moon.
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The sun shines on the horizon of Earth, as viewed from space.
February 05, 2024
Awards

Lab manager and technician selected for annual Service to Science Award

Abstract
We report C, N, Si, and Al-Mg isotope data for 39 presolar X silicon carbide (SiC) and four silicon nitride grains-a group of presolar grains that condensed in the remnants of core-collapse Type II supernovae (CCSNe)-isolated from the Murchison meteorite. Energy dispersive X-ray data were used to determine the Mg and Al contents of the X SiC grains for comparison with the Mg/Al ratios determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Previous SIMS studies have used O-rich standards in the absence of alternatives. In this study, the correlated isotopic and elemental data of the X SiC grains enabled accurate determination of the initial 26Al/27Al ratios for the grains. Our new grain data suggest that (i) the literature data for X grains are affected to varying degrees by asteroidal/terrestrial contamination, and (ii) the Al/Mg ratios in SiC are a factor of 2 (with +/- 6% 1 sigma uncertainties) lower than estimated based on the SIMS analyses that used O-rich standards. The lowered Al/Mg ratios result in proportionally higher inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratios for presolar SiC grains. In addition, the suppression of asteroidal/terrestrial contamination in this study leads to the observation of negative trends for 12C/13C-30Si/28Si and 26Al/27Al-30Si/28Si among our CCSN grains. We discuss these isotope trends in the light of explosive CCSN nucleosynthesis models, based on which we provide new insights into several nontraditional CCSN nucleosynthesis processes, including explosive H burning, the existence of a C/Si zone in the outer regions of CCSNe, and neutrino-nucleus reactions in deep CCSN regions.
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Abstract
Lake trophic state is a key ecosystem property that integrates a lake's physical, chemical, and biological processes. Despite the importance of trophic state as a gauge of lake water quality, standardized and machine-readable observations are uncommon. Remote sensing presents an opportunity to detect and analyze lake trophic state with reproducible, robust methods across time and space. We used Landsat surface reflectance data to create the first compendium of annual lake trophic state for 55,662 lakes of at least 10 ha in area throughout the contiguous United States from 1984 through 2020. The dataset was constructed with FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reproducible) in mind, where data are publicly available, relational keys from parent datasets are retained, and all data wrangling and modeling routines are scripted for future reuse. Together, this resource offers critical data to address basic and applied research questions about lake water quality at a suite of spatial and temporal scales.
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Abstract
We present the first comprehensive study of a giant, approximate to 70 kpc-scale nebula around a radio-quiet quasar at z<1. The analysis is based on deep integral field spectroscopy with MUSE of the field of HE0238-1904, a luminous quasar at z=0.6282. The nebula emits strongly in [OII], H beta, and [OIII], and the quasar resides in an unusually overdense environment for a radio-quiet system. The environment likely consists of two groups which may be merging, and in total have an estimated dynamical mass of M-dyn approximate to 4x10(13) to 10(14) M-circle dot. The nebula exhibits largely quiescent kinematics and irregular morphology. The nebula may arise primarily through interaction-related stripping of circumgalactic and interstellar medium (CGM/ISM) of group members, with some potential contributions from quasar outflows. The simultaneous presence of the giant nebula and a radio-quiet quasar in a rich environment suggests a correlation between such circum-quasar nebulae and environmental effects. This possibility can be tested with larger samples. The upper limits on the electron number density implied by the [OII] doublet ratio range from log(ne,[OII]/cm(-3))<1.2 to 2.8. However, assuming a constant quasar luminosity and negligible projection effects, the densities implied from the measured line ratios between different ions (e.g., [OII], [OIII], and [NeV]) and photoionization simulations are often 10-400 times larger. This large discrepancy can be explained by quasar variability on a timescale of approximate to 10(4)-10(5) years.
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CASSI poster presentations
February 02, 2024
Awards

Four Observatories summer interns recognized for exemplary student research

Barbara McClintock working with maize in the lab.
February 08, 2024
Feature Story

Interview: Nina Fedoroff on Barbara McClintock

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