Extreme magnesium isotope fractionation at outcrop scale records the mechanism and rate at which reaction fronts advance

Isotopic fractionation of cationic species during diffusive transport provides novel means of constraining the style and timing of metamorphic transformations. Here we document a major (~1‰) decrease in the Mg isotopic composition of the reaction front of an exhumed contact between rocks of subducted crust and serpentinite, in the Syros mélange zone. This isotopic perturbation extends over a notable length-scale (~1 m), implicating diffusion of Mg through an intergranular fluid network over a period of ~100 kyr. These novel observations confirm models of diffusion-controlled growth of reaction zones formed between rocks of contrasting compositions, such as found at the slab-mantle interface in subduction zones. The results also demonstrate that diffusive processes can result in exotic stable isotope compositions of major elements with implications for mantle xenoliths and complex intrusions

An ultraviolet simulator for the incident Martian surface radiation and its applications

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can act on putative organic/biological matter at the Martian surface in several ways. Only absorbed, but not transmitted or reflected, radiation energy can be photo-chemically effective. The most important biological UV effects are due to photochemical reactions in nucleic acids, DNA or RNA, which constitute the genetic material of all cellular organisms and viruses. Protein or lipid effects generally play a minor role, but they are also relevant in some cases. UV radiation can induce wavelengths-specific types of DNA damage. At the same time it can also induce the photo-reversion reaction of a UV induced DNA photoproduct of nucleic acid bases, the pyrimidine dimers. Intense UVB and UVC radiation, experienced on early Earth and present-day Mars, has been revealed to be harmful to all organisms, including extremophile bacteria and spores. Moreover, the formation of oxidants, catalytically produced in the Martian environment through UV irradiation, may be responsible for the destruction of organic matter on Mars. Following this, more laboratory simulations are vital in order to investigate and understand UV effects on organic matter in the case of Mars. We have designed a radiation apparatus that simulates the anticipated Martian UV surface spectrum between 200 and 400 nm (UVC-UVA). The system comprises a UV enhanced xenon arc lamp, special filter-sets and mirrors to simulate the effects of the Martian atmospheric column and dust loading. We describe the technical setup and performance of the system and discuss its uses for different applications. The design is focused on portability, therefore, the Mars-UV simulator represents a device for several different Mars simulation facilities with specific emphasis on Mars research topics

"Statistical closure models to simulate turbulence Shear Flows Phenomena, Double Tree Resort "

International audienc

Turbulence models for wind stroms induced by gravity-waves

International audienc

First-order turbulence modelling for the stratified atmospheric boundary layer

International audienc

Experimental analysis of the shock dynamics on a transonic laminar airfoil

This paper describes an experimental analysis of the buffet phenomenon on a two-dimensional (2D), transonic, and laminar airfoil at a Reynolds number around 3 · 106. Investigations are carried out in ONERA's S3Ch transonic wind tunnel. The experimental setup allows to vary the Mach number, the angle of attack, and the state of the boundary layer upstream of the shock which can be turbulent or laminar depending on the presence of artificial tripping. Buffet occurs when either the angle of attack or the Mach number is set above a given threshold, which depends upon the particular airfoil, and, as shown here, on the state of the boundary layer. Above the threshold, the boundary layer / shock interaction destabilizes, causing the oscillation of the entire flow field. In the turbulent case, the shock wave moves back and forth over a significant portion of the chord at a frequency of about 75 Hz corresponding to a chord based on Strouhal number St ≃ 0.07, in agreement with previous researches on this phenomenon. In the laminar case, a similar unsteady situation occurs but at a frequency much higher, about 1130 Hz, which corresponds to a Strouhal number of about St ≃ 1. Flow oscillations are limited to the shock foot, the shock itself moving only lightly. The turbulent and laminar bu¨et thresholds are provided. An attempt to apply the classical feedback loop scenario to explain the unsteadiness of the flow in the laminar case is carried out but shows a deceptive agreement with the experimental data. Two other mechanisms of unsteadiness are additionally explored, one based on vortex shedding behind the airfoil and the other on the possible breathing of the laminar separation bubble, which give valuable insights into the §ow physics