Pressure-induced phase transitions of monoclinic H-Nb2O5 have been studied by in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction, pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, and Raman and optical transmission spectroscopy. The initial monoclinic phase is found to transform into an orthorhombic phase at similar to 9 GPa and then change to an amorphous form above 21.4 GPa. The PDF data reveal that the amorphization is associated with disruptions of the long-range order of the NbO6 octahedra and the NbO7 pentagonal bipyramids, whereas the local edgeshares of octahedra and the local linkages of pentagonal bipyramids are largely preserved in their nearest neighbors. Upon compression, the transmittance of the sample in a region from visible to near infrared (450-1000 nm) starts to increase above 8.0 GPa and displays a dramatic enhancement above 22.2 GPa, indicating that the amorphous form has a high transmittance. The pressure-induced amorphous form is found to be recoverable under pressure release, and maintain high optical transmittance property at ambient conditions. The recoverable pressure induced amorphous material promises for applications in multifunctional materials.

Some seismic models derived from tomographic studies indicate elevated shear-wave velocities (4.7km/s) around 120-150km depth in cratonic lithospheric mantle. These velocities are higher than those of cratonic peridotites, even assuming a cold cratonic geotherm (i.e., 35mW/m(2) surface heat flux) and accounting for compositional heterogeneity in cratonic peridotite xenoliths and the effects of anelasticity. We reviewed various geophysical and petrologic constraints on the nature of cratonic roots (seismic velocities, lithology/mineralogy, electrical conductivity, and gravity) and explored a range of permissible rock and mineral assemblages that can explain the high seismic velocities. These constraints suggest that diamond and eclogite are the most likely high-V-s candidates to explain the observed velocities, but matching the high shear-wave velocities requires either a large proportion of eclogite (>50vol.%) or the presence of up to 3vol.% diamond, with the exact values depending on peridotite and eclogite compositions and the geotherm. Both of these estimates are higher than predicted by observations made on natural samples from kimberlites. However, a combination of 20vol.% eclogite and similar to 2vol.% diamond may account for high shear-wave velocities, in proportions consistent with multiple geophysical observables, data from natural samples, and within mass balance constraints for global carbon. Our results further show that cratonic thermal structure need not be significantly cooler than determined from xenolith thermobarometry.

We present the determination of stellar parameters and individual elemental abundances for 6 million stars from similar to 8 million low-resolution (R similar to 1800) spectra from LAMOST DR5. This is based on a modeling approach that we dub the data-driven Payne (DD-Payne), which inherits essential ingredients from both the Payne and the Cannon. It is a data-driven model that incorporates constraints from theoretical spectral models to ensure the derived abundance estimates are physically sensible. Stars in LAMOST DR5 that are in common with either GALAH DR2 or APOGEE DR14 are used to train a model that delivers stellar parameters (T-eff, log g, V-mic) and abundances for 16 elements (C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ba) over a metallicity range of -4.dex < [Fe/H] < 0.6 dex when applied to the LAMOST spectra. Cross-validation and repeat observations suggest that, for S/N-pixel >= 50, the typical internal abundance precision is 0.03-0.1 dex for the majority of these elements, with 0.2-0.3 dex for Cu and Ba, and the internal precision of T-eff and log g is better than 30 K and 0.07 dex, respectively. Abundance systematics at the similar to 0.1 dex level are present in these estimates but are inherited from the high-resolution surveys' training labels. For some elements, GALAH provides more robust training labels, for others, APOGEE. We provide flags to guide the quality of the label determination and identify binary/multiple stars in LAMOST DR5. An electronic version of the abundance catalog is made publicly available.

Very little is known about the young planet population because the detection of small planets orbiting young stars is obscured by the effects of stellar activity and fast rotation, which mask planets within radial velocity and transit data sets. The few planets that have been discovered in young clusters generally orbit stars too faint for any detailed follow-up analysis. Here, we present the characterization of a new mini-Neptune planet orbiting the bright (V = 9) and nearby K2 dwarf star, HD 18599. The planet candidate was originally detected in TESS light curves from sectors 2, 3, 29, and 30, with an orbital period of 4.138 d. We then used HARPS and FEROS radial velocities, to find the companion mass to be 25.5 +/- 4.6 M-circle plus. When we combine this with the measured radius from TESS of 2.70 +/- 0.05 R-circle plus, we find a high planetary density of 7.1 +/- 1.4 g cm(-3). The planet exists on the edge of the Neptune Desert and is the first young planet (300 Myr) of its type to inhabit this region. Structure models argue for a bulk composition to consist of 23 per cent H2O and 77 per cent Rock and Iron. Future follow-up with large ground- and space-based telescopes can enable us to begin to understand in detail the characteristics of young Neptunes in the galaxy.

Al-rich phases (NAL: new hexagonal aluminous phase and CF: calcium-ferrite phase) are believed to constitute 10 similar to 30 wt% of subducted mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) in the Earth's lower mantle. In order to understand the effects of iron on compressibility and elastic properties of the NAL phase, we have studied two single-crystal samples (Fe-free Na1.14Mg1.83Al4.74Si1.23O12 and Fe-bearing Na0.71Mg2.05Al4.62Si1.16Fe0.092+Fe0.173+O12) using synchrotron nuclear forward scattering (NFS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with diamond anvil cells up to 86 GPa at room temperature. A pressure induced high-spin (HS) to low-spin (LS) transition of the octahedral Fe3+ in the Fe-bearing NAL is observed at approximately 30 GPa by NFS. Compared to the Fe-free NAL, the Fe-bearing NAL undergoes a volume reduction of 1.0% (similar to 1.2 angstrom(3)) at 33 similar to 47 GPa as supported by XRD, which is associated with the spin transition of the octahedral Fe3+. The fits of Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (B-M EoS) to P-V data yield unit-cell volume at zero pressure V-0 = 183.1(1) angstrom(3) and isothermal bulk modulus K-T0 = 233(6) GPa with a pressure derivative K-T0' = 3.7(2) for the Fe-free NAL; V0-HS = 184.76(6) angstrom(3) and KT0-HS = 238(1) GPa with KT0-HS' = 4 (fixed) for the Fe-bearing NAL. The bulk sound velocities (V-Phi) of the Fe-free and Fe-bearing NAL phase are approximately 6% larger than those of Al, Fe-bearing bridgmanite and calcium silicate perovskite in the lower mantle, except for the spin transition region where a notable softening of V-Phi with a maximum reduction of 9.4% occurs in the Fe-bearing NAL at 41 GPa. Considering the high volume proportion of the NAL phase in subducted MORB, the distinct elastic properties of the Fe-bearing NAL phase across the spin transition reported here may provide an alternative plausible explanation for the observed seismic heterogeneities of subducted slabs in the lower mantle at depths below 1200 km. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrous magnesium silicate phase D plays a key role in the transport of water from the upper to the lower mantle via subducted slabs. Here we report pressure dependence hyperfine and lattice parameters of FeAl-bearing phase D up to megabar pressures using synchrotron nuclear forward scattering and X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. FeAl-bearing phase D undergoes a two-stage high-spin to low-spin transition of iron for Fe2+ at 37-41GPa and for Fe3+ at 64-68GPa. These transitions are accompanied by an increase in density and a significant softening in the bulk modulus and bulk velocity at their respective pressure range. The occurrence of the dense low-spin FeAl-bearing phase D with relatively high velocity anisotropies in deep-subducted slabs can potentially contribute to small-scale seismic heterogeneities in the middle-lower mantle beneath the circum-Pacific area.

In this study, we performed synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Mossbauer spectroscopy (SMS) measurements on two single-crystal bridgmanite samples [Mg0.94Fe0.042+Fe0.023+Al0.01Si0.99O3(Bm6) and Mg0.89Fe0.0242+Fe0.0963+Al0.11Si0.89O3 (Al-Bm11)] to investigate the combined effect of Fe and Al on the hyperfine parameters, lattice parameters, and equation of state (EoS) of bridgmanite up to 130 GPa. Our SMS results show that Fe2+ and Fe3+ in Bm6 and Al-Bml l are predominantly located in the large pseudo-dodecahedral sites (A-site) at lower-mantle pressures. The observed drastic increase in the hyperfine quadrupole splitting (QS) between 13 and 32 GPa can be associated with an enhanced local distortion of the A-site Fe2+ in Bm6. In contrast to Bm6, the enhanced lattice distortion and the presence of extremely high QS values of Fe2+ are not observed in Al-Bml l at high pressures. Our results here support the notion that the occurrence of the extremely high QS component of approximately 4 mm/s in bridgmanite is due to the lattice distortion in the high-spin (HS) A-site Fe2+, instead of the occurrence of the intermediate-spin state. Both A-site Fe2+ and Fe3+ in Bm6 and Al-Bml l remain in the HS state at lower-mantle pressures. Together with XRD results, we present the first experimental evidence that the enhanced lattice distortion of A-site Fe2+ does not cause any detectable variation in the EoS parameters, but is associated with anomalous variations in the bond length, tilting angle, and shear strain in the octahedra of Bm6. Analysis of the obtained EoS parameters of bridgmanite at lower-mantle pressures indicates that the substitution of Fe in bridgmanite will cause an enhanced density and a reduced bulk sound velocity (V-Phi), whereas the Al and Fe substitution has a reduced effect on density and a negligible effect on V-Phi. These experimental results provide new insight into the correlation between lattice, hyperfine, and EoS parameters of bridgmanite in the Earth's lower mantle.

We investigated Fe-free and Fe-bearing CF phases using nuclear forward scattering and X-ray diffraction coupled with diamond anvil cells up to 80GPa at room temperature. Octahedral Fe3+ ions in the Fe-bearing CF phase undergo a high-spin to low-spin transition at 25-35GPa, accompanied by a volume reduction of similar to 2.0% and a softening of bulk sound velocity up to 17.6%. Based on the results of this study and our previous studies, both the NAL and CF phases, which account for 10-30 vol % of subducted MORB in the lower mantle, are predicted to undergo a spin transition of octahedral Fe3+ at lower mantle pressures. Spin transitions in these two aluminous phases result in an increase of density of 0.24% and a pronounced softening of bulk sound velocity up to 2.3% for subducted MORB at 25-60GPa and 300K. The anomalous elasticity region expands and moves to 30-75GPa at 1200K and the maximum of the V reduction decreases to similar to 1.8%. This anomalous elastic behavior of Fe-bearing aluminous phases across spin transition zones may be relevant in understanding the observed seismic signatures in the lower mantle.

Femtosecond resolution electron scattering techniques are applied to resolve the first atomic-scale steps following absorption of a photon in the prototypical hybrid perovskite methylammonium lead iodide. Following above-gap photoexcitation, we directly resolve the transfer of energy from hot carriers to the lattice by recording changes in the mean square atomic displacements on 10-ps time scales. Measurements of the time-dependent pair distribution function show an unexpected broadening of the iodine-iodine correlation function while preserving the Pb-I distance. This indicates the formation of a rotationally disordered halide octahedral structure developing on picosecond time scales. This work shows the important role of light-induced structural deformations within the inorganic sublattice in elucidating the unique optoelectronic functionality exhibited by hybrid perovskites and provides new understanding of hot carrier-lattice interactions, which fundamentally determine solar cell efficiencies.

We present the final results from our survey of luminous z similar to 5.5 quasars. This is the first systematic quasar survey focusing on quasars at z similar to 5.5, during the post-reionization epoch. It has been challenging to select quasars at 5.3 < z < 5.7 using conventional color selections, due to their similar optical colors to those of late-type stars, especially M dwarfs. We developed a new selection technique for z similar to 5.5 quasars based on optical, near-infrared (IR), and mid-IR photometry, using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), PanSTARR1 (PS1), the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Surveys-Large Area Survey, the UKIRT Hemisphere Survey, the VISTA Hemisphere Survey, and the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer, covering similar to 11,000 deg(2) of high galactic latitude sky. In this paper, we present the discovery of 15 new quasars at 5.22 >= z >= 5.78. Together with results from Yang et al., our survey provides a complete, flux-limited sample of 31 quasars at 5.3 >= z >= 5.7. We measure the quasar spatial density at z similar to 5.5 and M1450 < -26.2. Our result is consistent with the rapid decline of the quasar spatial density from z = 5 to 6, with k = -0.66 +/- 0.05 (rho(z) alpha 10(kz)). In addition, we present a new survey using optical colors only from the full PS1 area for luminous quasars at z = 5.0-5.5, which is beyond the SDSS footprint, and report the preliminary results from this survey, including 51 new quasars discovered at 4.61 <= z <= 5.71.