scholarly journals Kimberlite: A Unique Probe into the Deep Earth

Elements ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 375-375
Author(s):  
Michael J. Walter
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
J. Silcox

In this introductory paper, my primary concern will be in identifying and outlining the various types of inelastic processes resulting from the interaction of electrons with matter. Elastic processes are understood reasonably well at the present experimental level and can be regarded as giving information on spatial arrangements. We need not consider them here. Inelastic processes do contain information of considerable value which reflect the electronic and chemical structure of the sample. In combination with the spatial resolution of the electron microscope, a unique probe of materials is finally emerging (Hillier 1943, Watanabe 1955, Castaing and Henri 1962, Crewe 1966, Wittry, Ferrier and Cosslett 1969, Isaacson and Johnson 1975, Egerton, Rossouw and Whelan 1976, Kokubo and Iwatsuki 1976, Colliex, Cosslett, Leapman and Trebbia 1977). We first review some scattering terminology by way of background and to identify some of the more interesting and significant features of energy loss electrons and then go on to discuss examples of studies of the type of phenomena encountered. Finally we will comment on some of the experimental factors encountered.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nore Stolte ◽  
Junting Yu ◽  
Zixin Chen ◽  
Dimitri A. Sverjensky ◽  
Ding Pan

The water-gas shift reaction is a key reaction in Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis, which is widely believed to generate hydrocarbons in the deep carbon cycle, but is little known at extreme pressure-temperature conditions found in Earth’s upper mantle. Here, we performed extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to study the water-gas shift reaction. We found the direct formation of formic acid out of CO and supercritical water at 10∼13 GPa and 1400 K without any catalyst. Contrary to the common assumption that formic acid or formate is an intermediate product, we found that HCOOH is thermodynamically more stable than the products of the water-gas shift reaction above 3 GPa and at 1000∼1400 K. Our study suggests that the water-gas shift reaction may not happen in Earth’s upper mantle, and formic acid or formate may be an important carbon carrier, participating in many geochemical processes in deep Earth.<br>


Author(s):  
Nore Stolte ◽  
Junting Yu ◽  
Zixin Chen ◽  
Dimitri A. Sverjensky ◽  
Ding Pan

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. eabb4644
Author(s):  
Yuri N. Palyanov ◽  
Yuri M. Borzdov ◽  
Alexander G. Sokol ◽  
Yuliya V. Bataleva ◽  
Igor N. Kupriyanov ◽  
...  

Most natural diamonds are formed in Earth’s lithospheric mantle; however, the exact mechanisms behind their genesis remain debated. Given the occurrence of electrochemical processes in Earth’s mantle and the high electrical conductivity of mantle melts and fluids, we have developed a model whereby localized electric fields play a central role in diamond formation. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a diamond crystallization mechanism that operates under lithospheric mantle pressure-temperature conditions (6.3 and 7.5 gigapascals; 1300° to 1600°C) through the action of an electric potential applied across carbonate or carbonate-silicate melts. In this process, the carbonate-rich melt acts as both the carbon source and the crystallization medium for diamond, which forms in assemblage with mantle minerals near the cathode. Our results clearly demonstrate that electric fields should be considered a key additional factor influencing diamond crystallization, mantle mineral–forming processes, carbon isotope fractionation, and the global carbon cycle.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
JiJi Fan ◽  
Zhong-Zhi Xianyu

Abstract Light fields with spatially varying backgrounds can modulate cosmic preheating, and imprint the nonlinear effects of preheating dynamics at tiny scales on large scale fluctuations. This provides us a unique probe into the preheating era which we dub the “cosmic microscope”. We identify a distinctive effect of preheating on scalar perturbations that turns the Gaussian primordial fluctuations of a light scalar field into square waves, like a diode. The effect manifests itself as local non-Gaussianity. We present a model, “modulated partial preheating”, where this nonlinear effect is consistent with current observations and can be reached by near future cosmic probes.


Eos ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (15) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Carolina Lithgow-Bertelloni

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus A. Ebert ◽  
Stella T. Schindler ◽  
Iain W. Stewart ◽  
Yong Zhao

Abstract Transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) provide a unique probe of the three-dimensional spin structure of hadrons. We construct spin-dependent quasi-TMDPDFs that are amenable to lattice QCD calculations and that can be used to determine spin-dependent TMDPDFs. We calculate the short-distance coefficients connecting spin-dependent TMDPDFs and quasi-TMDPDFs at one-loop order. We find that the helicity and transversity distributions have the same coefficient as the unpolarized TMDPDF. We also argue that the same is true for pretzelosity and that this spin universality of the matching will hold to all orders in αs. Thus, it is possible to calculate ratios of these distributions as a function of longitudinal momentum and transverse position utilizing simpler Wilson line paths than have previously been considered.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Root ◽  
Javier Fullea ◽  
Jörg Ebbing ◽  
Zdenek Martinec

&lt;p&gt;Global gravity field data obtained by dedicated satellite missions is used to study the density distribution of the lithosphere. Different multi-data joint inversions are using this dataset together with other geophysical data to determine the physical characteristics of the lithosphere. The gravitational signal from the deep Earth is usually removed by high-pass filtering of the model and data, or by appropriately selecting insensitive gravity components in the inversion. However, this will remove any long-wavelength signal inherent to lithosphere. A clear choice on the best-suited approach to remove the sub-lithospheric gravity signal is missing.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another alternative is to forward model the gravitational signal of these deep situated mass anomalies and subtract it from the observed data, before the inversion. Global tomography provides shear-wave velocity distribution of the mantle, which can be transformed into density anomalies. There are difficulties in constructing a density model from this data. Tomography relies on regularisation which smoothens the image of the mantle anomalies. Also, the shear-wave anomalies need to be converted to density anomalies, with uncertain conversion factors related to temperature and composition. Understanding the sensitivity of these effects could help determining the interaction of the deep Earth and the lithosphere.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In our study the density anomalies of the mantle, as well as the effect of CMB undulations, are forward modelled into their gravitational potential field, such that they can be subtracted from gravity observations. The reduction in magnitude of the density anomalies due to the regularisation of the global tomography models is taken into account. The long-wavelength region of the density estimates is less affected by the regularisation and can be used to fix the mean conversion factor to transform shear wave velocity to density. We present different modelling approaches to add the remaining dynamic topography effect in lithosphere models. This results in new solutions of the density structure of the lithosphere that both explain seismic observations and gravimetric measurements. The introduction of these dynamic forces is a step forward in understanding how to properly use global gravity field data in joint inversions of lithosphere models.&lt;/p&gt;


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