138 research outputs found
Aluminum-26 Enrichment in the Surface of Protostellar Disks Due to Protostellar Cosmic Rays
The radioactive decay of aluminum-26 (Al) is an important heating
source in early planet formation. Since its discovery, there have been several
mechanisms proposed to introduce Al into protoplanetary disks, primarily
through contamination by external sources. We propose a local mechanism to
enrich protostellar disks with Al through irradiation of the
protostellar disk surface by cosmic rays accelerated in the protostellar
accretion shock. We calculate the Al enrichment, [Al/Al],
at the surface of the protostellar disk in the inner AU throughout the
evolution of low-mass stars, from M-dwarfs to proto-Suns. Assuming constant
mass accretion rates, , we find that irradiation by MeV cosmic rays
can provide significant enrichment on the disk surface if the cosmic rays are
not completely coupled to the gas in the accretion flow. Importantly, we find
that low accretion rates, M yr, are able
to produce canonical amounts of Al, . These accretion rates are experienced at the
transition from Class I- to Class II-type protostars, when it is assumed that
calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions condense in the inner disk. We conclude that
irradiation of the inner disk surface by cosmic ray protons accelerated in
accretion shocks at the protostellar surface may be an important mechanism to
produce Al. Our models show protostellar cosmic rays may be a viable
model to explain the enrichment of Al found in the Solar System.Comment: Accepted to ApJ, in pres
Sub-arc mantle enrichment in the Sunda rear-arc inferred from HFSE systematics in high-K lavas from Java
Many terrestrial silicate reservoirs display a characteristic depletion in Nb, which has been explained in some studies by the presence of reservoirs on Earth with superchondritic Nb/Ta. As one classical example, K-rich lavas from the Sunda rear-arc, Indonesia, have been invoked to tap such a high-Nb/Ta reservoir. To elucidate the petrogenetic processes active beneath the Java rear-arc and the causes for the superchondritic Nb/Ta in some of these lavas, we studied samples from the somewhat enigmatic Javanese rear-arc volcano Muria, which allow conclusions regarding the across-arc variations in volcanic output, source mineralogy and subduction components. We additionally report some data for an along-arc sequence of lavas from the Indonesian part of the Sunda arc, extending from Krakatoa in the west to the islands of Bali and Lombok in the east. We present major and trace element concentrations, SrâNdâHfâPb isotope compositions, and high-field-strength element (HFSE: Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, W) concentrations obtained via isotope dilution and MC-ICP-MS analyses. The geochemical data are complemented by melting models covering different source compositions with slab melts formed at variable PâT conditions. The radiogenic isotope compositions of the frontal arc lavas in combination with their trace element systematics confirm previously established regional variations of subduction components along the arc. Melting models show a clear contribution of a sediment-derived component to the HFSE budget of the frontal arc lavas, particularly affecting ZrâHf and W. In contrast, the K-rich rear-arc lavas tap more hybrid and enriched mantle sources. The HFSE budget of the rear-arc lavas is in particular characterized by superchondritic Nb/Ta (up to 25) that are attributed to deep melting involving overprint by slab melts formed from an enriched garnetârutile-bearing eclogitic residue. Sub-arc slab melting was potentially triggered along a slab tear beneath the Sunda arc, which is the result of the forced subduction of an oceanic basement relief ~ 8 Myr ago as confirmed by geophysical studies. The purported age of the slab tear coincides with a paucity in arc volcanism, widespread thrusting of the Javanese basement crust as well as the short-lived nature of the K-rich rear-arc volcanism at that time. © 2021, The Author(s)
Mineralogical Controls on the Ti Isotope Composition of Subduction Zone Magmas
The positive Ti isotope versus SiO2-content correlation in igneous rocks reflects the fractional crystallization of Ti-bearing oxide minerals. However, Ti isotope variations of subduction-related igneous rocks indicate that the Ti isotope compositions of their mantle sources are heterogeneous and additional mineral phases may promote Ti isotope fractionation. We have determined the Ti isotope composition of well-characterized subduction-related basalts, andesites and boninites. Samples from the Solomon Islands, the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus, and Cape Vogel in Papua New Guinea show small but resolvable variations that may be related to differences in their mantle sources. Specifically, the ÎŽ49Ti of boninites (+0.109â° to +0.168â°) is slightly higher than that of tholeiites (â0.027â° to +0.111â°) from the same localities (Troodos in Cyprus and Cape Vogel in Papua New Guinea). Modeling suggests the partial melting of progressively depleted mantle sources where residual Cr-spinel plays a greater role in controlling the Ti budget during partial melting. More pronounced variations in ÎŽ49Ti are clearly linked to the fractional crystallization of Ti-oxides: Samples from Rabaul Volcanic Complex (New Britain, Papua New Guinea) show increasing ÎŽ49Ti (up to +0.373â°) with increasing Ti/V and decreasing Dy/Yb. Fractional crystallization models suggest that oxide minerals and amphibole are needed to sufficiently increase the ÎŽ49Ti of these magmas. Our study highlights that the combination of diagnostic trace element patterns and Ti isotope compositions in subduction-related igneous rocks can be a powerful tool to constrain petrogenetic processes and to discriminate between different crystallizing mineral phases
Continental thickening vs. flat subduction â the cause for Cretaceous magmatism in the Pamir
Late Cenozoic tephrostratigraphy offshore the southern Central American Volcanic Arc: 2. Implications for magma production rates and subduction erosion
Pacific drill sites offshore Central America provide the unique opportunity to study the evolution of large explosive volcanism and the geotectonic evolution of the continental margin back into the Neogene. The temporal distribution of tephra layers established by tephrochonostratigraphy in Part 1 indicates a nearly continuous highly explosive eruption record for the Costa Rican and the Nicaraguan volcanic arc within the last 8 M.y.
The widely distributed marine tephra layers comprise the major fraction of the respective erupted tephra volumes and masses thus providing insights into regional and temporal variations of large-magnitude explosive eruptions along the southern Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA). We observe three pulses of enhanced explosive magmatism between 0-1 Ma at the Cordillera Central, between 1-2 Ma at the Guanacaste and at >3 Ma at the Western Nicaragua segments. Averaged over the long-term the minimum erupted magma flux (per unit arc length) is âŒ0.017 g/ms.
Tephra ages, constrained by Ar-Ar dating and by correlation with dated terrestrial tephras, yield time-variable accumulation rates of the intercalated pelagic sediments with four prominent phases of peak sedimentation rates that relate to tectonic processes of subduction erosion. The peak rate at >2.3 Ma near Osa particularly relates to initial Cocos Ridge subduction which began at 2.91±0.23 Ma as inferred by the 1.5 M.y. delayed appearance of the OIB geochemical signal in tephras from Barva volcano at 1.42 Ma. Subsequent tectonic re-arrangements probably involved crustal extension on the Guanacaste segment that favored the 2-1 Ma period of unusually massive rhyolite production
Kimberlites reveal 2.5-billion-year evolution of a deep, isolated mantle reservoir
The widely accepted paradigm of Earth's geochemical evolution states that the successive extraction of melts from the mantle over the past 4.5 billion years formed the continental crust, and produced at least one complementary melt-depleted reservoir that is now recognized as the upper-mantle source of mid-ocean-ridge basalts1. However, geochemical modelling and the occurrence of high 3He/4He (that is, primordial) signatures in some volcanic rocks suggest that volumes of relatively undifferentiated mantle may reside in deeper, isolated regions2. Some basalts from large igneous provinces may provide temporally restricted glimpses of the most primitive parts of the mantle3,4, but key questions regarding the longevity of such sources on planetary timescalesâand whether any survive todayâremain unresolved. Kimberlites, small-volume volcanic rocks that are the source of most diamonds, offer rare insights into aspects of the composition of the Earthâs deep mantle. The radiogenic isotope ratios of kimberlites of different ages enable us to map the evolution of this domain through time. Here we show that globally distributed kimberlites originate from a single homogeneous reservoir with an isotopic composition that is indicative of a uniform and pristine mantle source, which evolved in isolation over at least 2.5 billion years of Earth historyâto our knowledge, the only such reservoir that has been identified to date. Around 200 million years ago, extensive volumes of the same source were perturbed, probably as a result of contamination by exogenic material. The distribution of affected kimberlites suggests that this event may be related to subduction along the margin of the Pangaea supercontinent. These results reveal a long-lived and globally extensive mantle reservoir that underwent subsequent disruption, possibly heralding a marked change to large-scale mantle-mixing regimes. These processes may explain why uncontaminated primordial mantle is so difficult to identify in recent mantle-derived melts
Late Cenozoic tephrostratigraphy offshore the southern Central American Volcanic Arc: 1. Tephra ages and provenance
We studied the tephra inventory of 18 deep sea drill sites from six DSDP/ODP legs (Legs 84, 138, 170, 202, 205, 206) and two IODP legs (Legs 334 and 344) offshore the southern Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA). Eight drill sites are located on the incoming Cocos plate and ten drill sites on the continental slope of the Caribbean plate. In total we examined âŒ840 ash-bearing horizons and identified âŒ650 of these as primary ash beds of which 430 originated from the CAVA. Correlations of ash beds were established between marine cores and with terrestrial tephra deposits, using major and trace element glass compositions with respect to relative stratigraphic order. As a prerequisite for marine-terrestrial correlations we present a new geochemical data set for significant Neogene and Quaternary Costa Rican tephras. Moreover, new Ar/Ar ages for marine tephras have been determined and marine ash beds are also dated using the pelagic sedimentation rates. The resulting correlations and provenance analyses build a tephrochronostratigraphic framework for Costa Rica and Nicaragua that covers the last >8 Myr. We define 39 correlations of marine ash beds to specific tephra formations in Costa Rica and Nicaragua; from the 4.15 Ma Lower Sandillal Ignimbrite to the 3.5 ka RincĂłn de la Vieja Tephra from Costa Rica, as well as another 32 widely distributed tephra layers for which their specific region of origin along Costa Rica and Nicaragua can be constrained
Impact of glacial activity on the weathering of Hf isotopes â Observations from Southwest Greenland
Data for the modern oceans and their authigenic precipitates suggest incongruent release of hafnium (Hf) isotopes by chemical weathering of the continents. The fact that weathering during recent glacial periods is associated with more congruent release of Hf isotopes has led to the hypothesis that the incongruency may be controlled by retention of unradiogenic Hf by zircons, and that glacial grinding enhances release of Hf from zircons. Here we study the relationship between glacial weathering processes and Hf isotope compositions released to rivers fed by land-terminating glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet, as well as neighbouring non-glacial streams. The weathered source rocks in the studied area mostly consist of gneisses, but also include amphibolites of the same age (1.9 Ga). Hafnium and neodymium isotope compositions in catchment sediments and in the riverine suspended load are consistent with a predominantly gneissic source containing variable trace amounts of zircon and different abundances of hornblende, garnet and titanite. Glacially sourced rivers and non-glacial streams fed by precipitation and lakes show very unradiogenic Nd isotopic compositions, in a narrow range (ÉNd = â42.8 to â37.9). Hafnium isotopes, on the other hand, are much more radiogenic and variable, with ÉHf between â18.3 and â0.9 in glacial rivers, and even more radiogenic values of +15.8 to +46.3 in non-glacial streams. Although relatively unradiogenic Hf is released by glacial weathering, glacial rivers actually fall close to the seawater array in Hf-Nd isotope space and are not distinctly unradiogenic. Based on their abundance in rocks and sediments and their isotope compositions, different minerals contribute to the radiogenic Hf in solution with a decreasing relevance from garnet to titanite, hornblende and apatite. Neodymium isotopes preclude a much stronger representation of titanite, hornblende and apatite in solution, such as might result from differences in dissolution rates, than estimated from mineral abundance. The strong contrast in Hf isotope compositions between glacial rivers and non-glacial streams results mostly from different contributions from garnet and zircon, where zircon weathering is more efficient in the subglacial environment. A key difference between glacial and non-glacial waters is the water-rock interaction time. While glacial rivers receive continuous contributions from long residence time waters of distributed subglacial drainage systems, non-glacial streams are characterized by fast superficial drainage above the permafrost horizon. Therefore, the increased congruency in Hf isotope weathering in glacial systems could simply reflect the hydrological conditions at the base of the ice-sheet and glaciers, with zircon weathering contributions increasing with water-rock interaction time
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Top-quark physics at the CLIC electron-positron linear collider
Abstract
The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a proposed future high-luminosity linear electron-positron collider operating at three energy stages, with nominal centre-of-mass energies
s
= 380 GeV, 1.5 TeV, and 3 TeV. Its aim is to explore the energy frontier, providing sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) and precision measurements of Standard Model processes with an emphasis on Higgs boson and top-quark physics. The opportunities for top-quark physics at CLIC are discussed in this paper. The initial stage of operation focuses on top-quark pair production measurements, as well as the search for rare flavour-changing neutral current (FCNC) top-quark decays. It also includes a top-quark pair production threshold scan around 350 GeV which provides a precise measurement of the top-quark mass in a well-defined theoretical framework. At the higher-energy stages, studies are made of top-quark pairs produced in association with other particles. A study of tÌtH production including the extraction of the top Yukawa coupling is presented as well as a study of vector boson fusion (VBF) production, which gives direct access to high-energy electroweak interactions. Operation above 1 TeV leads to more highly collimated jet environments where dedicated methods are used to analyse the jet constituents. These techniques enable studies of the top-quark pair production, and hence the sensitivity to BSM physics, to be extended to higher energies. This paper also includes phenomenological interpretations that may be performed using the results from the extensive top-quark physics programme at CLIC.</jats:p
Missing western half of the Pacific Plate: Geochemical nature of the Izanagi-Pacific Ridge interaction with a stationary boundary between the Indian and Pacific mantles
The source mantle of the basaltic ocean crust on the western half of the Pacific Plate was examined using PbâNdâHf isotopes. The results showed that the subducted IzanagiâPacific Ridge (IPR) formed from both Pacific (180ââŒ80 Ma) and Indian (âŒ80â70 Ma) mantles. The western Pacific Plate becomes younger westward and is thought to have formed from the IPR. The ridge was subducted along the KurileâJapanâNankaiâRyukyu (KJNR) Trench at 60â55 Ma and leading edge of the Pacific Plate is currently stagnated in the mantle transition zone. Conversely, the entire eastern half of the Pacific Plate, formed from isotopically distinct Pacific mantle along the East Pacific Rise and the Juan de Fuca Ridge, largely remains on the seafloor. The subducted IPR is inaccessible; therefore, questions regarding which mantle might be responsible for the formation of the western half of the Pacific Plate remain controversial. Knowing the source of the IPR basalts provides insight into the IndianâPacific mantle boundary before the Cenozoic. Isotopic compositions of the basalts from borehole cores (165â130 Ma) in the western Pacific show that the surface oceanic crust is of Pacific mantle origin. However, the accreted ocean floor basalts (âŒ80â70 Ma) in the accretionary prism along the KJNR Trench have Indian mantle signatures. This indicates the younger western Pacific Plate of IPR origin formed partly from Indian mantle and that the IndianâPacific mantle boundary has been stationary in the western Pacific at least since the Cretaceous
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