Subducted banded iron formations as a source of ultralow-velocity zones at the core-mantle boundary

Ultralow-velocity zones (ULVZs) are regions of the Earth's core-mantle boundary about 1-10 kilometres thick exhibiting seismic velocities that are lower than radial-Earth reference models by about 10-20 per cent for compressional waves and 10-30 per cent for shear waves. It is also thought that such regions have an increased density of about 0-20 per cent (ref. 1). A number of origins for ULVZs have been proposed, such as ponding of dense silicate melt, core-mantle reaction zones or underside sedimentation from the core. Here we suggest that ULVZs might instead be relics of banded iron formations subducted to the core-mantle boundary between 2.8 and 1.8 billion years ago. Consisting mainly of interbedded iron oxides and silica, such banded iron formations were deposited in the world's oceans during the late Archaean and early Proterozoic eras. We argue that these layers, as part of the ocean floor, would be recycled into the Earth's interior by subduction, sink to the bottom of the mantle and may explain all of the observed features of ULVZs.     

Hf-W-Th evidence for rapid growth of Mars and its status as a planetary embryo

Terrestrial planets are thought to have formed through collisions between large planetary embryos of diameter ～1,000-5,000?km. For Earth, the last of these collisions involved an impact by a Mars-size embryo that formed the Moon 50-150?million years (Myr) after the birth of the Solar System. Although model simulations of the growth of terrestrial planets can reproduce the mass and dynamical parameters of the Earth and Venus, they fall short of explaining the small size of Mars. One possibility is that Mars was a planetary embryo that escaped collision and merging with other embryos. To assess this idea, it is crucial to know Mars' accretion timescale, which can be investigated using the (182)Hf-(182)W decay system in shergottite-nakhlite-chassignite meteorites. Nevertheless, this timescale remains poorly constrained owing to a large uncertainty associated with the Hf/W ratio of the Martian mantle and as a result, contradicting timescales have been reported that range between 0 and 15?Myr (refs 6-10). Here we show that Mars accreted very rapidly and reached about half of its present size in only 1.8(+0.9)(-1.0) Myr or less, which is consistent with a stranded planetary embryo origin. We have found a well-defined correlation between the Th/Hf and (176)Hf/(177)Hf ratios in chondrites that reflects remobilization of Lu and Th during parent-body processes. Using this relationship, we estimate the Hf/W ratio in Mars' mantle to be 3.51?±?0.45. This value is much more precise than previous estimates, which ranged between 2.6 and 5.0 (ref. 6), and lifts the large uncertainty that plagued previous estimates of the age of Mars. Our results also demonstrate that Mars grew before dissipation of the nebular gas when ～100-km planetesimals, such as the parent bodies of chondrites, were still being formed. Mars' accretion occurred early enough to allow establishment of a magma ocean powered by decay of (26)Al.     

Autoimmune diabetes as a consequence of locally produced interleukin-2.

During cell differentiation in the thymus, self-reactive T cells can be generated. The majority of these seem to be deleted after intrathymic encounter with the relevant autoantigen. As all self antigens are unlikely to be present in the thymus, some autoreactive T cells may escape censorship. Here we study the fate of these cells using transgenic mice expressing the class I molecule H-2Kb (Kb) in the insulin-producing beta-cells of the pancreas. These mice were crossed with mice transgenic for genes encoding a Kb-specific T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) which could be detected using a clonotype-specific monoclonal antibody. Although T cells expressing the highest level of transgenic TCR were deleted intrathymically in double-transgenic mice, Kb-specific T cells were detected in the periphery. These cells caused the rejection of Kb-expressing skin grafts, but ignored islet Kb antigens even after priming. But when double-transgenic mice were crossed with transgenic mice expressing the lymphokine interleukin-2 in the pancreatic beta-cells, there was a rapid onset of diabetes. These results indicate that autoreactive T cells that ignore self antigens may cause autoimmune diabetes when provided with exogenous 'help' in the form of interleukin-2.     

Cool Indonesian throughflow as a consequence of restricted surface layer flow

Approximately 10 million m3 x s(-1) of water flow from the Pacific Ocean into the Indian Ocean through the Indonesian seas. Within the Makassar Strait, the primary pathway of the flow, the Indonesian throughflow is far cooler than estimated earlier, as pointed out recently on the basis of ocean current and temperature measurements. Here we analyse ocean current and stratification data along with satellite-derived wind measurements, and find that during the boreal winter monsoon, the wind drives buoyant, low-salinity Java Sea surface water into the southern Makassar Strait, creating a northward pressure gradient in the surface layer of the strait. This surface layer 'freshwater plug' inhibits the warm surface water from the Pacific Ocean from flowing southward into the Indian Ocean, leading to a cooler Indian Ocean sea surface, which in turn may weaken the Asian monsoon. The summer wind reversal eliminates the obstructing pressure gradient, by transferring more-saline Banda Sea surface water into the southern Makassar Strait. The coupling of the southeast Asian freshwater budget to the Pacific and Indian Ocean surface temperatures by the proposed mechanism may represent an important negative feedback within the climate system.     

曲率效应导致的伽马暴高能尾

根据"曲率效应",预言伽马暴随动谱中高能端的一根发射线可以形成观测谱中的一个翘起的高能尾.这解释了为什么从来没有在伽马暴中观测到窄发射线.翘尾的峰是洛仑兹因子的线性函数.这表明,当该发射线被证认时,翘尾峰可成为火球膨胀速度的指示器.     

Deposition of metal films on an ionic liquid as a basis for a lunar telescope

An optical/infrared telescope of 20-100 m aperture located on the Moon would be able to observe objects 100 to 1,000 times fainter than the proposed next generation of space telescopes. The infrared region of the spectrum is particularly important for observations of objects at redshifts z > 7. The apparent simplicity and low mass of a liquid mirror telescope, compared with a traditional pointable glass mirror, suggest that the concept should be considered further. A previously proposed liquid mirror telescope, based upon a spinning liquid metallic alloy, is not appropriate for infrared applications, which will require a liquid below 130 K. Here we report the successful coating of an ionic liquid with silver. The surface is smooth and the silver coating is stable on a timescale of months. The underlying ionic liquid does not evaporate in a vacuum and remains liquid down to a temperature of 175 K. Given that there are approximately 10(6) simple and approximately 10(18) ternary ionic liquids, it should be possible to synthesize liquids with even lower melting temperatures.     

电刷镀纳米镍薄膜表面形貌和沉积生长机理分析

采用电刷镀技术在铜基体表面上制备光亮的纳米镍薄膜。通过FESEM,AFM,SEM观察,分析纳米镍薄膜的二维和三维表面形貌。利用XRD估算纳米镍薄膜的晶粒平均尺寸,探讨纳米镍薄膜沉积生长机理。     

Re-Os isotopic evidence for a lower crustal origin of massif-type anorthosites

Massif-type anorthosites are large igneous complexes of Proterozoic age. They are almost monomineralic, representing vast accumulations of plagioclase with subordinate pyroxene or olivine and Fe-Ti oxides--the 930-Myr-old Rogaland anorthosite province in southwest Norway represents one of the youngest known expressions of such magmatism. The source of the magma and geodynamic setting of massif-type anorthosites remain long-standing controversies in Precambrian geology, with no consensus existing as to the nature of the parental magmas or whether these magmas primarily originate in the Earth's mantle or crust. At present, massif-type anorthosites are believed to have crystallized from either crustally contaminated mantle-derived melts that have fractionated olivine and pyroxenes at depth or primary aluminous gabbroic to jotunitic melts derived from the lower continental crust. Here we report rhenium and osmium isotopic data from the Rogaland anorthosite province that strongly support a lower crustal source for the parental magmas. There is no evidence of significantly older crust in southwest Scandinavia and models invoking crustal contamination of mantle-derived magmas fail to account for the isotopic data from the Rogaland province. Initial osmium and neodymium isotopic values testify to the melting of mafic source rocks in the lower crust with an age of 1,400-1,550 Myr.     

低品位铁矿石直接还原过程铁颗粒生长和解离特性

对某低品位铁矿直接还原过程中金属铁颗粒的生长和解离特性进行了研究,重点讨论了还原剂用量和还原时间对铁颗粒长大的影响.X射线衍射和扫描电镜分析结果表明:减少还原剂用量能减弱还原气氛,减少结晶中心的生成,有利于铁颗粒的聚集长大,但因为部分铁损失于脉石中,所以限制了铁晶核的进一步长大;延长还原时间能有效地促进铁颗粒的聚集长大,并降低铁产品的活性,防止再氧化;还原矿中非晶态物质的生成以及金属铁和脉石的硬度差异,有利于金属铁颗粒的粗磨单体解离.     

新型钢铁材质快速无损检测仪的研制

介绍了一种基于初始幅值磁导率法的新型钢铁材质无损检测仪器,论述了它的检测原理和系统的软硬件设计要点。该仪器能迅速地检测钢铁件的成分及硬度等。     

蠕墨铸铁的低周疲劳裂纹扩展速率

为评估高速列车蠕墨铸铁制动盘寿命,开发了钛合金低温(-50℃)整体夹式引伸计和计算机试验数据采集系统,实时同步采集试件缺口张开位移、低周循环次数和载荷位移。采用柔度法通过试件缺口张开位移计算出裂纹长度,以确定疲劳裂纹扩展速率。试验结果表明:所得原板厚试样室温(25℃)与低温(-50℃)低周疲劳裂纹扩展速率曲线趋于一致。在试验温度范围内(-50～25℃)可统一使用室温低周疲劳裂纹扩展速率试验结果。     

关于磨粒在磁场探测器中沉降运动的研究

将含有铁磁性磨粒的油流看作具有铁磁流体性质的多相流,通过直接测量及数据拟合得到了电磁场场强及梯度分布的解析式;研究了非均匀磁场中特定条件下的粘度表达式、铁磁性磨粒沉降运动规律及磨粒直径Ｄ、颗粒容积率及含气泡的多相流对磨粒沉积的影响．研究结果认为：铁磁性磨粒在整个沉降过程中速度与加速度均在变化,达不到恒定的沉降速度;磨粒直径、颗粒容积率对靡磨粒沉积位置有影响,而气泡对其影响不大,所得结论对在线铁谱技术研究具有重要的指导作用     

Al_2O_3担载Fe化学气相沉积法合成石墨烯

Al2O3担载Fe作催化剂化学气相沉积法400℃下催化裂解乙炔进行反应,反应气氛分别为氢气和氩气,产物通过60℃下36%的浓盐酸中回流进行提纯.样品通过扫描电子显微镜和高分辨透射电子显微镜进行了表征.结果表明:当反应气氛为氢气时可以一次性制备均匀性很好的薄膜,其厚度约为3～15nm,层数约8～20层,薄膜之间相互交连在一起,表面有很多褶皱,为典型的石墨烯纳米片的结构;当反应气氛为氩气时,石墨烯纳米片则变成了副产物.     

补铁对新生仔猪血液参数影响的研究

包括2个饲养试验。实验一:取4对不同体重0日龄长太仔猪,窝内配对设计,3日龄分别补铁150 m g或不补铁。仔猪哺乳期间不补料,禁止仔猪接触母猪料、母猪粪。30日龄断奶,实验期47 d。实验二:取4对不同体重0日龄杜长太仔猪,设计、饲养同实验一,28 d结束实验。但实验二中的仔猪出生体重较大,平均达1.675 kg。结果表明:1)不补铁仔猪皮肤较苍白、被毛相对较粗乱及较安静,但腹泻频率差异不大;2)从生长性能看,补铁与否对出生时体重较轻的仔猪比较显著,但对出生时体重较重的仔猪影响不显著;3)从血液参数看,补铁与否的影响与相似于生长性能。结论:补铁对仔猪的影响可能与仔猪出生体重有关,出生体重大的仔猪可能并不一定需要补铁,或者可以采取更为温和的补铁方式。     

Monte Carlo模拟电子在球壳模型中的能量沉积分布

高能电子和物质相互作用是一个级联簇射（shower) 物理过程。空间飞行器防护系统就是利用这一原理,通过宇宙中的电子在飞行器中产生的shower电子,来了解其中半导体器件的有关信息。该文利用Monte Carlo,采用PENELOPE（Penetration and Energy Loss of Positrons and Electrons)软件包,对电子在飞行器中的运动过程进行模拟,给出球壳和半导体材料中的能量沉积分布,为空间飞行器的防护提供了理论依据。     

钒钛磁铁精矿直接还原过程中金属铁颗粒长大特性

通过钒钛磁铁矿精矿直接还原实验,研究了不同还原剂和添加剂对还原过程金属铁颗粒长大的影响.提高还原温度能促进还原产物中金属铁颗粒的长大,金属铁颗粒中V含量也显著增加.与用无烟煤和褐煤还原产物相比,用烟煤还原产物中金属铁颗粒明显长大,这是由烟煤中高灰分含量所引起的.金属铁颗粒长大机理的研究表明:Na2CO3和Na2SiO3的熔点较低,且能破坏铁橄榄石和铁尖晶石的结构,并生成一些低熔点物质,而SiO2能与铁橄榄石形成低共熔混合物.这些低熔点物质都有助于改善金属铁相的扩散,从而促进金属铁颗粒长大.