Volatiles beneath mid-ocean ridges: deep melting, channelised transport, focusing, and metasomatism

Deep-Earth volatile cycles couple the mantle with near-surface reservoirs. Volatiles are emitted by volcanism and, in particular, from mid-ocean ridges, which are the most prolific source of basaltic volcanism. Estimates of volatile extraction from the asthenosphere beneath ridges typically rely on measurements of undegassed lavas combined with simple petrogenetic models of the mean degree of melting. Estimated volatile fluxes have large uncertainties; this is partly due to a poor understanding of how volatiles are transported by magma in the asthenosphere. Here, we assess the fate of mantle volatiles through numerical simulations of melting and melt transport at mid-ocean ridges. Our simulations are based on two-phase, magma/mantle dynamics theory coupled to idealised thermodynamic model of mantle melting in the presence of water and carbon dioxide. We combine simulation results with catalogued observations of all ridge segments to estimate a range of likely volatile output from the global mid-ocean ridge system. We thus predict global MOR crust production of 66-73 Gt/yr (22-24 km3/yr) and global volatile output of 52-110 Mt/yr, corresponding to mantle volatile contents of 100--200~ppm. We find that volatile extraction is limited: up to half of deep, volatile-rich melt is not focused to the axis but is rather deposited along the LAB. As these distal melts crystallise and fractionate, they metasomatise the base of the lithosphere, creating rheological heterogeneity that could contribute to the seismic signature of the LAB.Comment: 42 pages; 8 figures; 2 appendices (incl 1 table); 7 suppl. figures; 1 suppl. tabl

Critical Collapse of the Massless Scalar Field in Axisymmetry

We present results from a numerical study of critical gravitational collapse of axisymmetric distributions of massless scalar field energy. We find threshold behavior that can be described by the spherically symmetric critical solution with axisymmetric perturbations. However, we see indications of a growing, non-spherical mode about the spherically symmetric critical solution. The effect of this instability is that the small asymmetry present in what would otherwise be a spherically symmetric self-similar solution grows. This growth continues until a bifurcation occurs and two distinct regions form on the axis, each resembling the spherically symmetric self-similar solution. The existence of a non-spherical unstable mode is in conflict with previous perturbative results, and we therefore discuss whether such a mode exists in the continuum limit, or whether we are instead seeing a marginally stable mode that is rendered unstable by numerical approximation.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Naphthoquinone derivatives and lignans from the Paraguayan crude drug

Schmeda-Hirschmann,G. Laboratorio de Quımica de Productos Naturales,Instituto de Quımica de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Casilla 747, Talca, Chile.The Paraguayan crude drug “tayı¨ pyta´” is used to treat cancer, wounds and inflammation. It consist of the bark and trunkwood of Tabebuia heptaphylla (Bignoniaceae). A phytochemical study of the crude drug gave, in addition to previously described naphthoquinones and the known lignans cycloolivil and secoisolariciresinol, three new lapachenol (lapachonone)-, two naphthofuran-, a chromone and a naphthalene derivative. The structures were elucidated by means of high field NMR spectroscopy. The biological activity of the main compound lapachol and the related α-lapachone as well as the lignans cycloolivil and secoisolariciresinol can explain, at least in part, the effect atributed to the crude drug in Paraguayan folk medicine

Origin and properties of dual and offset active galactic nuclei in a cosmological simulation at z=2

In the last few years, it became possible to observationally resolve galaxies with two distinct nuclei in their centre. For separations smaller than 10kpc, dual and offset active galactic nuclei (AGN) are distinguished: in dual AGN, both nuclei are active, whereas in offset AGN only one nucleus is active. To study the origin of such AGN pairs, we employ a cosmological, hydrodynamic simulation with a large volume of (182Mpc)^3 from the set of Magneticum Pathfinder Simulations. The simulation self-consistently produces 35 resolved black hole (BH) pairs at redshift z=2, with a comoving distance smaller than 10kpc. 14 of them are offset AGN and nine are dual AGN, resulting in a fraction of (1.2 \pm 0.3)% AGN pairs with respect to the total number of AGN. In this paper, we discuss fundamental differences between the BH and galaxy properties of dual AGN, offset AGN and inactive BH pairs and investigate their different triggering mechanisms. We find that in dual AGN the BHs have similar masses and the corresponding BH from the less massive progenitor galaxy always accretes with a higher Eddington ratio. In contrast, in offset AGN the active BH is typically more massive than its non-active counterpart. Furthermore, dual AGN in general accrete more gas from the intergalactic medium than offset AGN and non-active BH pairs. This highlights that merger events, particularly minor mergers, do not necessarily lead to strong gas inflows and thus, do not always drive strong nuclear activity.Comment: 17 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, website: http://www.magneticum.or

The cosmic growth of the active black hole population at 1<z<2 in zCOSMOS, VVDS and SDSS

We present a census of the active black hole population at 1<z<2, by constructing the bivariate distribution function of black hole mass and Eddington ratio, employing a maximum likelihood fitting technique. The study of the active black hole mass function (BHMF) and the Eddington ratio distribution function (ERDF) allows us to clearly disentangle the active galactic nuclei (AGN) downsizing phenomenon, present in the AGN luminosity function, into its physical processes of black hole mass downsizing and accretion rate evolution. We are utilizing type-1 AGN samples from three optical surveys (VVDS, zCOSMOS and SDSS), that cover a wide range of 3 dex in luminosity over our redshift interval of interest. We investigate the cosmic evolution of the AGN population as a function of AGN luminosity, black hole mass and accretion rate. Compared to z = 0, we find a distinct change in the shape of the BHMF and the ERDF, consistent with downsizing in black hole mass. The active fraction or duty cycle of type-1 AGN at z~1.5 is almost flat as a function of black hole mass, while it shows a strong decrease with increasing mass at z=0. We are witnessing a phase of intense black hole growth, which is largely driven by the onset of AGN activity in massive black holes towards z=2. We finally compare our results to numerical simulations and semi-empirical models and while we find reasonable agreement over certain parameter ranges, we highlight the need to refine these models in order to match our observations.Comment: 31 pages, 28 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Constraining AGN triggering mechanisms through the clustering analysis of active black holes

The triggering mechanisms for active galactic nuclei (AGN) are still debated. Some of the most popular ones include galaxy interactions (IT) and disc instabilities (DIs). Using an advanced semi-analytic model (SAM) of galaxy formation, coupled to accurate halo occupation distribution modelling, we investigate the imprint left by each separate triggering process on the clustering strength of AGN at small and large scales. Our main results are as follows: (i) DIs, irrespective of their exact implementation in the SAM, tend to fall short in triggering AGN activity in galaxies at the centre of haloes wit

Static Einstein-Maxwell Solutions in 2+1 dimensions

We obtain the Einstein-Maxwell equations for (2+1)-dimensional static space-time, which are invariant under the transformation $q_0=i\,q_2,q_2=i\,q_0,\alpha \rightleftharpoons \gamma$. It is shown that the magnetic solution obtained with the help of the procedure used in Ref.~\cite{Cataldo}, can be obtained from the static BTZ solution using an appropriate transformation. Superpositions of a perfect fluid and an electric or a magnetic field are separately studied and their corresponding solutions found.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, no figures, to appear in Physical Review

Comparison of the Spherical Averaged Pseudopotential Model with the Stabilized Jellium Model

We compare Kohn-Sham results (density, cohesive energy, size and effect of charging) of the Spherical Averaged Pseudopotential Model with the Stabilized Jellium Model for clusters of sodium and aluminum with less than 20 atoms. We find that the Stabilized Jellium Model, although conceptually and practically more simple, gives better results for the cohesive energy and the elastic stiffness. We use the Local Density Approximation as well as the Generalized Gradient Approximation to the exchange and correlation energies.Comment: 13 pages, latex, 8 figures, compressed postscript version available at http://www.fis.uc.pt/~vieir

Earth’s carbon deficit caused by early loss through irreversible sublimation

Carbon is an essential element for life, but its behavior during Earth’s accretion is not well understood. Carbonaceous grains in meteoritic and cometary materials suggest that irreversible sublimation, and not condensation, governs carbon acquisition by terrestrial worlds. Through astronomical observations and modeling, we show that the sublimation front of carbon carriers in the solar nebula, or the soot line, moved inward quickly so that carbon-rich ingredients would be available for accretion at 1 astronomical unit after the first million years. On the other hand, geological constraints firmly establish a severe carbon deficit in Earth, requiring the destruction of inherited carbonaceous organics in the majority of its building blocks. The carbon-poor nature of Earth thus implies carbon loss in its precursor material through sublimation within the first million years