Lifetime of superheated water in a micrometric synthetic fluid inclusion

A synthetic pure water fluid inclusion presenting a wide temperature range of metastability (Th - Tn ≈ 50°C; temperature of homogenization Th = 144°C and nucleation temperature of Tn = 89°C) was selected to make a kinetic study of the lifetime of an isolated microvolume of superheated water. The occluded liquid was placed in the metastable field by isochoric cooling and the duration of the metastable state was measured repetitively for 7 fixed temperatures above Tn. Statistically, measured metastability lifetimes for the 7 data sets follow the exponential Reliability distribution, i.e., the probability of non nucleation within time t equals . This enabled us to calculate the half-life periods of metastability τ for each of the selected temperature, and then to predict τ at any temperature T > Tn for the considered inclusion, according to the equation τ(s) = 22.1 × e1.046×ΔT , (ΔT = T - Tn). Hence we conclude that liquid water in water-filled reservoirs with an average pore size ≈ 104 µm3 can remain superheated over geological timelengths (1013s), when placed in the metastable field at 24°C above the average nucleation temperature, which often corresponds to high liquid tensions (≈ -50 MPa)

Lifetime of superheated water in a micrometric synthetic fluid inclusion

International audienceA synthetic pure water fluid inclusion presenting a wide temperature range of metastability (Th - Tn ≈ 50°C; temperature of homogenization Th = 144°C and nucleation temperature of Tn = 89°C) was selected to make a kinetic study of the lifetime of an isolated microvolume of superheated water. The occluded liquid was placed in the metastable field by isochoric cooling and the duration of the metastable state was measured repetitively for 7 fixed temperatures above Tn. Statistically, measured metastability lifetimes for the 7 data sets follow the exponential Reliability distribution, i.e., the probability of non nucleation within time t equals . This enabled us to calculate the half-life periods of metastability Τ for each of the selected temperature, and then to predict Τ at any temperature T > Tn for the considered inclusion, according to the equation Τs , (∃T = T - Tn). Hence we conclude that liquid water in water-filled reservoirs with an average pore size ≈ 104 µm3 can remain superheated over geological timelengths (107s), when placed in the metastable field at 10°C above the average nucleation temperature, which often corresponds to high liquid tensions (≈ -120 -70 MPa)

Quantitative palynofacies analysis as a new tool to study transfers of fossil organic matter in recent terrestrial environments

International audienceClassical palynofacies method, which consists in an organic concentrate microscopic qualitative observation after mineral phase dissolution, is commonly used in order to study sedimentary organic matter. In the present study we develop a new quantitative palynofacies method that allows organic particles mass concentrations to be determined in studied samples. This method was developed to help quantify the input of fossil organic matter (FOM) into modern environments as a result of sedimentary rocks weathering. Studied samples were collected from different pools, like bedrocks, weathering profiles, soils and riverine particles in an experimental watershed "Le Laval". This watershed overlying Callovo-Oxfordian marls (1 km² in area) is located near Digne, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in France. In addition to palynofacies techniques, Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis and Al2O3 content measurements (inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry) were carried out on the samples. Obtained results show that this quantitative palynofacies method is suitable for FOM studies in modern environments, and FOM particles are quantified in the different pools. Results also give evidence that FOM alteration depends on the type of weathering, but also on the kind of organic particles. Soil formation under vegetation, resulting from the (bio)chemical weathering, lead to fossil organic particles concentration losses that do not exceed 30%. Elsewhere, mechanical weathering appears extremely fast and has no qualitative or quantitative influence on the observed FOM particles, which feeds directly into riverine stocks. FOM appears to be very resistant to weathering processes, this highlights its occurrence into supergene pools and then into carbon cycle. Quantitative palynofacies analysis is a new method adapted to a such study, but can also be applied to other palynological, paleoenvironmental or archeological studies

Observational Limits on Machos in the Galactic Halo

We present final results from the first phase of the EROS search for gravitational microlensing of stars in the Magellanic Clouds by unseen deflectors (machos: MAssive Compact Halo Objects). The search is sensitive to events with time scales between 15 minutes and 200 days corresponding to deflector masses in the range 1.e-7 to a few solar masses. Two events were observed that are compatible with microlensing by objects of mass of about 0.1 Mo. By comparing the results with the expected number of events for various models of the Galaxy, we conclude that machos in the mass range [1.e-7, 0.02] Mo make up less than 20% (95% C.L.) of the Halo dark matter.Comment: 4 pages, 3 Postscript figures, to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysic

AGAPEROS: Searches for microlensing in the LMC with the Pixel Method; 2, Selection of possible microlensing events

We apply the pixel method of analysis (sometimes called ``pixel lensing'') to a small subset of the EROS-1 microlensing observations of the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The pixel method is designed to find microlensing events of unresolved source stars and had heretofore been applied only to M31 where essentially all sources are unresolved. With our analysis optimised for the detection of long-duration microlensing events due to 0.01-1 Mo Machos, we detect no microlensing events and compute the corresponding detection efficiencies. We show that the pixel method should detect 10 to 20 times more microlensing events for M>0.05 Mo Machos compared to a classical analysis of the same data which latter monitors only resolved stars. In particular, we show that for a full halo of Machos in the mass range 0.1 -- 0.5 Mo, a pixel analysis of the three-year EROS-1 data set covering 0.39 deg^2 would yield 4 events.We apply the pixel method of analysis (sometimes called ''pixel lensing'') to a small subset of the EROS-1 microlensing observations of the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The pixel method is designed to find microlensing events of unresolved source stars and had heretofore been applied only to M31 where essentially all sources are unresolved. With our analysis optimised for the detection of long-duration microlensing events due to 0.01-1 Mo Machos, we detect no microlensing events and compute the corresponding detection efficiencies. We show that the pixel method, applied to crowded fields, should detect 10 to 20 times more microlensing events for M>0.05 Mo Machos compared to a classical analysis of the same data which latter monitors only resolved stars. In particular, we show that for a full halo of Machos in the mass range 0.1-0.5 M $\bigodot$, a pixel analysis of the three-year EROS-1 data set covering $0.39deg^{2}$ would yield $\simeq 4$ events

AGAPEROS: Searches for microlensing in the LMC with the Pixel Method; 1, Data treatment and pixel light curves production

The presence and abundance of MAssive Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) can be studied with microlensing searches. The 10 events detected by the EROS and MACHO groups suggest that objects with 0.5 Mo could fill 50% of the dark halo. This preferred mass is quite surprising, and increasing the presently small statistics is a crucial issue. Additional microlensing of stars too dim to be resolved in crowded fields should be detectable using the Pixel Method. We present here an application of this method to the EROS 91-92 data (one tenth of the whole existing data set). We emphasize the data treatment required for monitoring pixel fluxes. Geometric and photometric alignments are performed on each image. Seeing correction and error estimates are discussed. 3.6" x 3.6" super-pixel light curves, thus produced, are very stable over the 120 days time-span. Fluctuations at a level of 1.8% of the flux in blue and 1.3% in red are measured on the pixel light curves. This level of stability is comparable with previous estimates. The data analysis dedicated to the search of possible microlensing events together with refined simulations will be presented in a companion paper.Recent surveys monitoring millions of light curves of resolved stars in the LMC have discovered several microlensing events. Unresolved stars could however significantly contribute to the microlensing rate towards the LMC. Monitoring pixels, as opposed to individual stars, should be able to detect stellar variability as a variation of the pixel flux. We present a first application of this new type of analysis (Pixel Method) to the LMC Bar. We describe the complete procedure applied to the EROS 91-92 data (one tenth of the existing CCD data set) in order to monitor pixel fluxes. First, geometric and photometric alignments are applied to each images. Averaging the images of each night reduces significantly the noise level. Second, one light curve for each of the 2.1 10^6 pixels is built and pixels are lumped into 3.6"x3.6" super-pixels, one for each elementary pixel. An empirical correction is then applied to account for seeing variations. We find that the final super-pixel light curves fluctuate at a level of 1.8% of the flux in blue and 1.3% in red. We show that this noise level corresponds to about twice the expected photon noise and confirms previous assumptions used for the estimation of the contribution of unresolved stars. We also demonstrate our ability to correct very efficiently for seeing variations affecting each pixel flux. The technical results emphasised here show the efficacy of the Pixel Method and allow us to study luminosity variations due to possible microlensing events and variable stars in two companion papers

Observation of Microlensing towards the Galactic Spiral Arms: EROS II 3 year survey

We present an analysis of the light curves of 9.1 million stars observed during three seasons by EROS (Experience de Recherche d'Objets Sombres), in the Galactic plane away from the bulge. Seven stars exhibit luminosity variations compatible with gravitational microlensing effects due to unseen objects. The corresponding optical depth, averaged over four directions, is tau = 0.45 +0.24 -0.11 x 10^-6. While this value is compatible with expectations from simple galactic models under reasonable assumptions on the target distances, we find an excess of events with short timescale towards the direction closest to the Galactic Centre

Rhone River flood deposits in Lake Le Bourget: a proxy for Holocene environmental changes in the NW Alps, France

The Holocene evolution of Rhone River clastic sediment supply in Lake Le Bourget is documented by sub-bottom seismic profiling and multidisciplinary analysis of well-dated sediment cores. Six high-amplitude reflectors within the lacustrine drape can be correlated to periods of enhanced inter- and underflow deposition in sediment cores. Based on the synthesis of major environmental changes in the NW Alps and on the age-depth model covering the past 7500 years in Lake Le Bourget, periods of enhanced Rhone River flood events in the lake can be related to abrupt climate changes and/or to increasing land use since c. 2700 cal. yr BP. For example, significant land use under rather stable climate conditions during the Roman Empire may be responsible for large flood deposits in the northern part of Lake Le Bourget between AD 966 and 1093. However, during the Little Ice Age (LIA), well-documented major environmental changes in the catchment area essentially resulted from climate change and formed basin-wide major flood deposits in Lake Le Bourget. Up to five ‘LIA-like' Holocene cold periods developing enhanced Rhone River flooding activity in Lake Le Bourget are documented at c. 7200, 5200, 2800, 1600 and 200 cal. yr BP. These abrupt climate changes were associated in the NW Alps with Mont Blanc glacier advances, enhanced glaciofluvial regimes and high lake levels. Correlations with European lake level fluctuations and winter precipitation regimes inferred from glacier fluctuations in western Norway suggest that these five Holocene cooling events at 45°N were associated with enhanced westerlies, possibly resulting from a persistent negative mode of the North Atlantic Oscillation

Evolution paléoenvironnements Alpins durant l'Age de Bronze : apports des archives sédimentaires littorales et profondes du Lac du Bourget (Savoie, France)

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