A GENERIC MODEL FOR KNOWLEDGE BASES

A knowledge base system is a database system with logical, temporal and topological structures together with operations on these structures. vVe provide the necessary mathematical concepts for modeling such a system. These are parametrized hierarchical relations, logic functions, hierarchies of variables with their hierarchical control operators, and neighborhood/similarity structures. These concepts are then applied to define a model of a knowledge module. By composition of knowledge modules we obtain the knowledge system model

EH3 matrix mineralogy with major and trace element composition compared to chondrules

We investigated the matrix mineralogy in primitive EH3 chondrites Sahara 97072, ALH 84170, and LAR 06252 with transmission electron microscopy; measured the trace and major element compositions of Sahara 97072 matrix and ferromagnesian chondrules with laser-ablation, inductively coupled, plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS); and analyzed the bulk composition of Sahara 97072 with LA-ICPMS, solution ICPMS, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The fine-grained matrix of EH3 chondrites is unlike that in other chondrite groups, consisting primarily of enstatite, cristobalite, troilite, and kamacite with a notable absence of olivine. Matrix and pyroxene-rich chondrule compositions differ from one another and are distinct from the bulk meteorite. Refractory lithophile elements are enriched by a factor of 1.5-3 in chondrules relative to matrix, whereas the matrix is enriched in moderately volatile elements. The compositional relation between the chondrules and matrix is reminiscent of the difference between EH3 pyroxene-rich chondrules and EH3 Si-rich, highly sulfidized chondrules. Similar refractory element ratios between the matrix and the pyroxene-rich chondrules suggest the fine-grained material primarily consists of the shattered, sulfidized remains of the formerly pyroxene-rich chondrules with the minor addition of metal clasts. The matrix, chondrule, and metal-sulfide nodule compositions are probably complementary, suggesting all the components of the EH3 chondrites came from the same nebular reservoir

Geocronología preliminar K/Ar del Campo Volcánico del Basalto Cráter, Patagonia Septentrional

El campo volcánico del Basalto Cráter (CVBC) constituye uno de los campos basálticos cuaternarios de intraplaca de la Patagonia septentrional. El estudio sistemático de la geología, volcanología y geocronología del CVBC muestra una historia eruptiva "multiepisódica" de volcanes basálticos. Las dataciones K-Ar realizadas sobre roca total son coherentes con el control estratigráfico. Las edades obtenidas para el Basalto Cráter permiten distinguir tres episodios diferentes, pero individualmente coherentes, de actividad volcánica, ocurridos hace ~1,0 Ma; 0,6 Ma y 0,3 Ma. Las diferencias de edad parecen ser significativas, aún cuando el contenido de argón radiogénico determinado en los análisis de roca total resultó menor al 10 %.The Crater Basalt volcanic field is one of the Quaternary intraplate basaltic fields in northern Patagonia. A systematic geological, volcanological and geochronological study of CBVF indicates a "multistage history" of eruptions of basaltic volcanoes. K/Ar dating, using whole rock samples shows that the measured analytical ages are fully consistent with the available stratigraphic control. The radiometric ages fall into three distinct, internally consistent age groups, which give evidence that there were at least three major episodes of volcanic activity, at about 1.0 Ma, 0.6 Ma and 0.3 Ma ago. The age differences appear to be just significant, even although less than 10 % radiogenic argon was found in the isotope analysis of whole rock samples.Fil: Pécskay, Zoltán. Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Nuclear Research; HungríaFil: Haller, Miguel Jorge F.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Németh, Karoly. Massey University; Nueva Zelanda. Geological Institute of Hungary; Hungrí

Temperature and pressure-induced spin-state transitions in LaCoO3

We report the continuous variation of the spin moment of cobalt in LaCoO3 across its temperature and pressure-induced spin transitions evidenced with K\beta emission spectra. The first thermal transition is best described by a transition to an orbitally nondegenerate intermediate spin (S=1) state. In parallel, continuous redistribution of the 3d electrons is also indicated by partial fluorescence yield X-ray absorption spectra. At high pressure, our study confirms that the material becomes low spin between 40 and 70 kbar at room temperature

SKELETAL KINEMATICS OF THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT DEFICIENT KNEE WITH AND WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL BRACES

Steinmann traction pins were implanted into the femur and tibia of six subjects having a partial or complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Patients jumped for maximal horizontal distance and landed onto their deficient limb with the knee braced and unbraced. Tibiofemoral rotations and translations showed a general trend across subjects, i.e. skeletally based curves were similar in shape and amplitude. The tibia displaced anteriorly from footstrike to about peak vertical force onset (Fy). Thereafter the tibia moved posteriorly during flexion. Intra-subject kinematics was very repeatable but differences in anterior tibial translations were small between the brace conditions. This may be due to the invasiveness of this protocol, that landings were onto a deficient limb, or subjects jumped within their own comfort limits which did not maximally stress the ACL. Inter-subject differences were typically much larger

Ground state of a partially melted Wigner molecule

We consider three spinless fermions free to move on 2d square lattice with periodic boundary conditions and interacting via a U/r Coulomb repulsion. When the Coulomb energy to kinetic energy ratio r_s is large, a rigid Wigner molecule is formed. As r_s decreases, we show that melting proceeds via an intermediate regime where a floppy two particle molecule coexists with a partially delocalized particle. A simple ansatz is given to describe the ground state of this mesoscopic solid-liquid regime.Comment: to appear in Europhysics Letter

3D electron diffraction in nano-geology: present and perspectives

When working on advanced research topics in geosciences, one must often deal with small yields and cryptocrystalline polyphasic samples. Conventional optical and X-ray crystallographic tools may not be sufficient for the proper characterization of these samples. The development of efficient probes able to investigate the nanoworld becomes therefore crucial for pushing forward our understanding about the geochemical and mineralogical processes that regulate Earth and extraterrestrial environments. In the last ten years, electron diffraction (ED) evolved from a qualitative method restricted to few dedicated TEM users, to a robust protocol for phase identification and abinitio structure determination [1]. Such change has been mostly propelled by the development of routines for 3D data collection. This methodology is in principle equivalent to single-crystal X-ray diffraction, but allows sampling crystals of few tens on nanometers. We will show here some examples of recent applications of ED in geosciences, namely how to achieve an easy and relatively fast characterization of minor and cryptocrystalline phases in natural and experimental samples. We were able identify and characterize modulated phases able to carry hydrogen at upper-mantle conditions, to follow aragonite growth from the first nucleation seeds [2] and to identify mineralogical phases and polytypes in non-equilibrated extraterrestrial samples and in impact rocks [3]

Modern analogues for Miocene to Pleistocene alkali basaltic phreatomagmatic fields in the Pannonian Basin: "Soft-substrate" to "combined" aquifer controlled phreatomagmatism in intraplate volcanic fields

The Pannonian Basin (Central Europe) hosts numerous alkali basaltic volcanic fields in an area similar to 200 000 km2. These volcanic fields were formed in an approximate time span of 8 million years producing smallvolume volcanoes typically considered to be monogenetic. Polycyclic monogenetic volcanic complexes are also common in each field however. The original morphology of volcanic landforms, especially phreatomagmatic volcanoes, is commonly modified. by erosion, commonly aided by tectonic uplift. The phreatomagmatic volcanoes eroded to the level of their sub-surface architecture expose crater to conduit filling as well as diatreme facies of pyroclastic rock assemblages. Uncertainties due to the strong erosion influenced by tectonic uplifts, fast and broad climatic changes, vegetation cover variations, and rapidly changing fluvio-lacustrine events in the past 8 million years in the Pannonian Basin have created a need to reconstruct and visualise the paleoenvironment into which the monogenetic volcanoes erupted. Here phreatomagmatic volcanic fields of the Miocene to Pleistocene western Hungarian alkali basaltic province have been selected and compared with modern phreatomagmatic fields. It has been concluded that the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF) in New Zealand could be viewed as a prime modern analogue for the western Hungarian phreatomagmatic fields by sharing similarities in their pyroclastic successions textures such as pyroclast morphology, type, juvenile particle ratio to accidental lithics. Beside the AVF two other, morphologically more modified volcanic fields (Pali Aike, Argentina and Jeju, Korea) show similar features to the western Hungarian examples, highlighting issues such as preservation potential of pyroclastic successions of phreatomagmatic volcanoes.Fil: Németh, Karoly. Massey University; Nueva ZelandaFil: Cronin, Shane. Massey University; Nueva ZelandaFil: Haller, Miguel Jorge F.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Brenna, Marco. Massey University; Nueva ZelandaFil: Csillag, Gábor. Geological Institute of Hungary; Hungrí