3,728 research outputs found
Focused Fluid Flow along the Nootka Fault Zone and Continental slope, ExplorerâJuan de Fuca Plate Boundary
Key Points:
- Fluid flow is focused along Nootka Fault traces resulting in shallow bright spots
- Two seafloor mounds are the result of basaltic intrusions in the Nootka Fault zone
- Gas hydrates occur at the Nootka Slope and are imaged seismically as bottom-
simulating reflectors suggesting a regional heat-flow of ~80 mW/m2 along the slope
Abstract
Geophysical and geochemical data indicate there is abundant fluid expulsion in the Nootka fault zone (NFZ) between the Juan de Fuca and Explorer plates and the Nootka continental slope. Here we combine observations from > 20 years of investigations to demonstrate the nature of fluidâflow along the NFZ, which is the seismically most active region off Vancouver Island. Seismicity reaching down to the upper mantle is linked to nearâseafloor manifestation of fluid flow through a network of faults. Along the two main fault traces, seismic reflection data imaged bright spots 100 â 300 m below seafloor that lie above changes in basement topography. The bright spots are conformable to sediment layering, show oppositeâtoâseafloor reflection polarity, and are associated with frequencyâreduction and velocity pushâdown indicating the presence of gas in the sediments. Two seafloor mounds ~15 km seaward of the Nootka slope are underlain by deep, nonâconformable high amplitude reflective zones. Measurements in the water column above one mound revealed a plume of warm water, and bottomâvideo observations imaged hydrothermal vent system biota. Pore fluids from a core at this mound contain predominately microbial methane (C1) with a high proportion of ethane (C2) yielding C1/C2 ratios < 500 indicating a possible slight contribution from a deep source. We infer the reflective zones beneath the two mounds are basaltic intrusions that create hydrothermal circulation within the overlying sediments. Across the Nootka continental slope, gas hydrate related bottomâsimulating reflectors are widespread and occur at depths indicating heatâflow values of 80 â 90 mW/m2
Ion and polymer dynamics in polymer electrolytes PPO-LiClO4: II. 2H and 7Li NMR stimulated-echo experiment
We use 2H NMR stimulated-echo spectroscopy to measure two-time correlation
functions characterizing the polymer segmental motion in polymer electrolytes
PPO-LiClO4 near the glass transition temperature Tg. To investigate effects of
the salt on the polymer dynamics, we compare results for different ether oxygen
to lithium ratios, namely, 6:1, 15:1, 30:1 and infinity. For all compositions,
we find nonexponential correlation functions, which can be described by a
Kohlrausch function. The mean correlation times show quantitatively that an
increase of the salt concentration results in a strong slowing down of the
segmental motion. Consistently, for the high 6:1 salt concentration, a high
apparent activation energy E_a=4.1eV characterizes the temperature dependence
of the mean correlation times at Tg < T< 1.1T_g, while smaller values E_a=2.5eV
are observed for moderate salt contents. The correlation functions are most
nonexponential for 15:1 PPO-LiClO4, whereas the stretching is reduced for
higher and lower salt concentrations. A similar dependence of the correlation
functions on the evolution time in the presence and in the absence of ions
indicates that addition of salt hardly affects the reorientational mechanism.
For all compositions, mean jump angles of about 15 degree characterize the
segmental reorientation. In addition, comparison of results from 2H and 7Li NMR
stimulated-echo experiments suggests a coupling of ion and polymer dynamics in
15:1 PPO-LiClO4.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure
Probing the pairing symmetry in the over-doped Fe-based superconductor Ba_0.35Rb_0.65Fe_2As_2 as a function of hydrostatic pressure
We report muon spin rotation experiments on the magnetic penetration depth
lambda and the temperature dependence of lambda^{-2} in the over-doped Fe-based
high-temperature superconductor (Fe-HTS) Ba_{1-x}Rb_ xFe_2As_2 (x = 0.65)
studied at ambient and under hydrostatic pressures up to p = 2.3 GPa. We find
that in this system lambda^{-2}(T) is best described by d-wave scenario. This
is in contrast to the case of the optimally doped x = 0.35 system which is
known to be a nodeless s^{+-}-wave superconductor. This suggests that the
doping induces the change of the pairing symmetry from s^{+-} to d-wave in
Ba_{1-x}Rb_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2}. In addition, we find that the d-wave order
parameter is robust against pressure, suggesting that d is the common and
dominant pairing symmetry in over-doped Ba_{1-x}Rb_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2}. Application
of pressure of p = 2.3 GPa causes a decrease of lambda(0) by less than 5 %,
while at optimal doping x = 0.35 a significant decrease of lambda(0) was
reported. The superconducting transition temperature T_c as well as the gap to
T_c ratio 2Delta/k_BT_c show only a modest decrease with pressure. By combining
the present data with those previously obtained for optimally doped system x =
0.35 and for the end member x = 1 we conclude that the SC gap symmetry as well
as the pressure effects on the SC quantities strongly depend on the Rb doping
level. These results are discussed in the light of the putative Lifshitz
transition, i.e., a disappearance of the electron pockets in the Fermi surface
of Ba_{1-x}Rb_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2} upon hole doping.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review
Evidence for strong lattice effects as revealed from huge unconventional oxygen isotope effects on the pseudogap temperature in LaSrCuO
The oxygen isotope (O/O) effect (OIE) on the pseudogap
(charge-stripe ordering) temperature is investigated for the cuprate
superconductor LaSrCuO as a function of doping by means
of x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) studies. A strong dependent
and sign reversed OIE on is observed. The OIE exponent
systematically decreases from for to for ,
corresponding to increasing and decreasing superconducting
transition temperature . Both and
exhibit a linear doping dependence with different
slopes and critical end points (where and
fall to zero) at and
, indicating a large positive OIE of
with an exponent of . The remarkably large and
strongly doping dependent OIE on signals a substantial involvement
of the lattice in the formation of the pseudogap, consistent with a polaronic
approach to cuprate superconductivity and the vibronic character of its ground
state
Nonlinear response of dense colloidal suspensions under oscillatory shear: Mode-coupling theory and FT-rheology experiments
Using a combination of theory, experiment and simulation we investigate the
nonlinear response of dense colloidal suspensions to large amplitude
oscillatory shear flow. The time-dependent stress response is calculated using
a recently developed schematic mode-coupling-type theory describing colloidal
suspensions under externally applied flow. For finite strain amplitudes the
theory generates a nonlinear response, characterized by significant higher
harmonic contributions. An important feature of the theory is the prediction of
an ideal glass transition at sufficiently strong coupling, which is accompanied
by the discontinuous appearance of a dynamic yield stress. For the oscillatory
shear flow under consideration we find that the yield stress plays an important
role in determining the non linearity of the time-dependent stress response.
Our theoretical findings are strongly supported by both large amplitude
oscillatory (LAOS) experiments (with FT-rheology analysis) on suspensions of
thermosensitive core-shell particles dispersed in water and Brownian dynamics
simulations performed on a two-dimensional binary hard-disc mixture. In
particular, theory predicts nontrivial values of the exponents governing the
final decay of the storage and loss moduli as a function of strain amplitude
which are in excellent agreement with both simulation and experiment. A
consistent set of parameters in the presented schematic model achieves to
jointly describe linear moduli, nonlinear flow curves and large amplitude
oscillatory spectroscopy
Low-temperature magnetic fluctuations in the Kondo insulator SmB6
We present the results of a systematic investigation of the magnetic
properties of the three-dimensional Kondo topological insulator SmB6 using
magnetization and muon-spin relaxation/rotation (muSR) measurements. The muSR
measurements exhibit magnetic field fluctuations in SmB6 below 15 K due to
electronic moments present in the system. However, no evidence for magnetic
ordering is found down to 19 mK. The observed magnetism in SmB6 is homogeneous
in nature throughout the full volume of the sample. Bulk magnetization
measurements on the same sample show consistent behavior. The agreement between
muSR, magnetization, and NMR results strongly indicate the appearance of
intrinsic bulk magnetic in-gap states associated with fluctuating magnetic
fields in SmB6 at low temperature.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Silent Springs: Why Are All the Frogs âCroakingâ?
Amphibians are a fabulously successful group of animals; however, it is increasingly clear that they are experiencing extinction rates that far exceed those experienced by other classes of vertebrates. A new book examines the various reasons why amphibians are so threatened, and what can be done about it
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