Training Visual Imagery: Improvements of Metacognition, but not Imagery Strength

Visual imagery has been closely linked to brain mechanisms involved in perception. Can visual imagery, like visual perception, improve by means of training? Previous research has demonstrated that people can reliably evaluate the vividness of single episodes of imagination – might the metacognition of imagery also improve over the course of training? We had participants imagine colored Gabor patterns for an hour a day, over the course of five consecutive days, and again 2 weeks after training. Participants rated the subjective vividness and effort of their mental imagery on each trial. The influence of imagery on subsequent binocular rivalry dominance was taken as our measure of imagery strength. We found no overall effect of training on imagery strength. Training did, however, improve participant’s metacognition of imagery. Trial-by-trial ratings of vividness gained predictive power on subsequent rivalry dominance as a function of training. These data suggest that, while imagery strength might be immune to training in the current context, people’s metacognitive understanding of mental imagery can improve with practice

Mechanisms selectively engaged in rivalry: normal vision habituates, rivalrous vision primes

AbstractWhen rivalrous stimuli are presented intermittently, perception stabilises. This indicates the operation of perceptual memory across interruptions in stimulation. Here we show that a percept under non-rivalrous and rivalrous conditions has qualitatively different effects on subsequent rivalrous vision. When an image is perceived under rivalrous viewing, that image is more likely to be perceived in later rivalrous viewing: an effect of stabilisation or priming. When the same image is perceived under non-rivalrous viewing conditions, it is less likely to be perceived again during subsequent rivalrous viewing: an effect of adaptation or habituation. When these stimuli possess different attributes to those in subsequent vision their effect declines. This suggests that visual rivalry might recruit mechanisms that are not engaged in ‘normal’ non-rivalrous vision but perhaps dedicated to the resolution of competing sensory information

Tracing the metasomatic and magmatic evolution of continental mantle roots with Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb isotopes : a case study of Middle Atlas (Morocco) peridotite xenoliths

We studied clinopyroxenes from spinel-facies peridotite xenoliths sampled by the Quaternary intra-plate volcanism of the Middle Atlas (Morocco) and present new trace element and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope data. However, we focus in particular on Pb isotope data and 238U/204Pb and 232Th/204Pb ratios of these clinopyroxenes. This data allows us to investigate: (a) the timing of metasomatic events, (b) the prevalence and persistence of elevated 238U/204Pb, 232Th/238U and 232Th/204Pb in continental mantle roots and (c) the 238U/204Pb and 232Th/204Pb composition of putative basaltic melts generated from such metasomatised sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). Incompatible trace element concentrations in these clinopyroxenes are elevated, marked by high-field strength element depletion and fractionated elemental ratios (e.g., U/Nb, Zr/Hf) most consistent with enrichment due to carbonatitic liquids. Sr, Nd and Hf isotopes have an affinity to HIMU. U, Th and Pb abundances in the clinopyroxenes generally exceed estimates of primitive mantle clinopyroxene. Pb isotope compositions of these clinopyroxenes are radiogenic and vary between 206Pb/204Pb = 19.93–20.25, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.63–15.66 and 208Pb/204Pb = 39.72–40.23. These Pb isotope systematics result in generally negative Δ7/4 but positive Δ8/4; setting these samples distinctly apart from typical HIMU. These Pb isotope compositions are also distinct from the associated host volcanic rocks. 238U/204Pb and 232Th/204Pb of these clinopyroxenes, which range from 26 to 81 and 136 to 399, respectively, are elevated and more extreme than estimates of MORB- and HIMU-source mantle. The Pb isotope evolution of the clinopyroxenes suggests that the metasomatic enrichment is younger than 200 Ma, which discounts the volcanic activity due to the opening of the Atlantic and the onset of the collision of the African and Eurasian plates as processes generating the lithophile element and isotope composition of this continental mantle root. Instead, the enrichment is thought to be associated with the Quaternary intra-plate volcanism in the Middle Atlas. However, the erupted mafic melts have unradiogenic Pb isotopes and lower 238U/204Pb, 232Th/204Pb and 232Th/238U relative to the clinopyroxene and do not seem to have equilibrated with the clinopyroxenes. The high Th abundances and the high 232Th/238U also suggest that the metasomatism was due to carbonatitic liquids. When literature data for Pb isotopes in mantle minerals are considered, the Pb isotope range of Archean, Proterozoic and Phanerozoic continental mantle roots is remarkable in that they are similar to the convecting mantle. This observation does not support the existence of sub-continental lithospheric mantle with high 238U/204Pb and 232Th/204Pb for long periods of time. Consequently, the narrow range of Pb isotopes in SCLM worldwide suggests that only the youngest metasomatic events are recorded by incompatible elements such as U, Th and Pb. Numerical modelling of putative magmas generated from Middle Atlas SCLM by fractional, non-modal melting calculations yield extremely high 238U/204Pb and 232Th/204Pb ratios. For example, pure SCLM magmas generated from 0.5% to 10% melting are anticipated to have 232Th/204Pb ratios exceeding those known from terrestrial basalts

A major element, PGE and Re-Os isotope study of Middle Atlas (Morocco) peridotite xenoliths : evidence for coupled introduction of metasomatic sulphides and clinopyroxene

We present major element and PGE (platinum-group-element) abundances in addition to Re–Os isotope data for 11 spinel-facies whole rock peridotites from a single maar from the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Major element systematics of these xenoliths are generally correlated with indices of depletion. FeO–MgO systematics appear to suggest spinel-facies melting in the range of 5 to 25%. However, Al2O3 abundances in these xenoliths appear elevated relative to primitive mantle (Prima). The Al2O3 abundances in conjunction with other major elements require distinct re-enrichment of the Middle Atlas continental mantle root due to melt/rock reaction and precipitation of amphibole and/or clinopyroxene from passing silicate melts akin to MORB or OIB that evolved in reverse direction along the melting curves in e.g. FeO–MgO space. Sc and V confirm the range of apparent depletion and also indicate that the currently preserved fO2 in these peridotites is distinctly different from fO2 conditions observed in subduction zones. The majority of these xenoliths have low Os and Ir (I-PGEs) concentrations relative to Prima and modelled sulphide- and clinopyroxene-depleted residues of mantle melting under low fO2, mid-ocean ridge-like conditions. Moreover, Pt and Pd (P-PGE) abundances are elevated when compared to their expected abundances after substantial melt extraction. Importantly, the systematically low Ir abundances in the majority of samples show well-correlated trends with Al2O3, MgO and Cu that are inconsistent with established melting trends. Os isotopes in the Middle Atlas xenoliths range from 187Os/188Os = 0.11604 to 0.12664 although most samples are close to chondritic. The Os isotope ratios are decoupled from 187Re/188Os but, together with Re abundances, also exhibit a good correlation with Al2O3, MgO and Cu. The major element, I-PGE and Os isotope correlations suggest that the initial melt depletion led to the exhaustion of sulphide and clinopyroxene (20 to 30%) without significant stabilization of I-PGE-rich alloys. During later modal metasomatism of the refractory Middle Atlas continental mantle root with silicate melts akin to MORB or OIB the introduction of clinopyroxene/amphibole reduced the volume of the melt inducing sulphur saturation in these melts causing precipitation of secondary sulphides. This coupled crystallization of pyroxenes and sulphides (chalcopyrite) resulted in the two-component mixing systematics exhibited by I-PGEs, Os isotopes with major elements and Cu preserved in the Middle Atlas continental mantle root

Gravitational Wave Timing Array

We describe the design of a gravitational wave timing array, a novel scheme that can be used to search for low-frequency gravitational waves by monitoring continuous gravitational waves at higher frequencies. We show that observations of gravitational waves produced by Galactic binaries using a space-based detector like LISA provide sensitivity in the nanohertz to microhertz band. While the expected sensitivity of this proposal is not competitive with other methods, it fills a gap in frequency space around the microhertz regime, which is above the range probed by current pulsar timing arrays and below the expected direct frequency coverage of LISA. The low-frequency extension of sensitivity does not require any experimental design change to space-based gravitational wave detectors, and can be achieved with the data products that would already be collected by them.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, comments welcom