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The Iron Age was the time when people acquired iron processing technology and is generally thought to have begun after 1200 B.C. Some prehistoric iron artifacts made of iron meteorites are dated from the Bronze Age. A nicely preserved meteoritic iron dagger was found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen (1361–1352 B.C.) of ancient Egypt. Yet, its manufacturing method and origin remain unclear. Here, we report nondestructive two‐dimensional chemical analyses of the Tutankhamen iron dagger, conducted at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. Elemental mapping of Ni on the dagger blade surface shows discontinuous banded arrangements in places with "cubic" symmetry and a bandwidth of about 1 mm, suggesting a Widmanstätten pattern. The intermediate Ni content (11.8 ± 0.5 wt%) with the presence of the Widmanstätten pattern implies the source meteorite of the dagger blade to be octahedrite. The randomly distributed sulfur‐rich black spots are likely remnants of troilite (FeS) inclusions in iron meteorite. The preserved Widmanstätten pattern and remnant troilite inclusion show that the iron dagger was manufactured by low‐temperature (<950 °C) forging. The gold hilt with a few percent of calcium lacking sulfur suggests the use of lime plaster instead of gypsum plaster as an adhesive material for decorations on the hilt. Since the use of lime plaster in Egypt started during the Ptolemaic period (305–30 B.C.), the Ca‐bearing gold hilt hints at its foreign origin, possibly from Mitanni, Anatolia, as suggested by one of the Amarna letters saying that an iron dagger with gold hilt was gifted from the king of Mitanni to Amenhotep III, the grandfather of Tutankhamen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen‐sensitive and near‐infrared (NIR) luminescent YbIII coordination polymers incorporating ligands based on pyrene derivatives were synthesized: YbIII–TBAPy and YbIII–TIAPy (TBAPy: 1,3,6,8‐tetrakis(p‐benzoate)pyrene; TIAPy: 1,3,6,8‐tetrakis(3,5‐isophthalic acid)pyrene). The coordination structures of these materials have been characterized by means of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, the porous structure of YbIII–TIAPy has been evaluated by measuring its N2 adsorption isotherm. The NIR luminescence properties of YbIII–TBAPy and YbIII–TIAPy have been examined by acquiring emission spectra and determining emission lifetimes under air or argon and in vacuo. YbIII–TIAPy exhibited high thermal stability (with a decomposition temperature of 400 °C), intense luminescence (with an emission quantum yield under argon of 6.6 %), and effective oxygen‐sensing characteristics. These results suggest that NIR luminescent YbIII coordination polymers prepared using pyrene derivatives could have applications in novel thermo‐stable oxygen sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontispiece: Near-IR Luminescent YbIII Coordination Polymers Composed of Pyrene Derivatives for Thermostable Oxygen Sensors The Yb SP III sp coordination polymers exhibited high thermal stability (decomposition temperature=400 °C), intense luminescence (emission quantum yield under Ar=6.6 %), and effective oxygen-sensing characteristics. Coordination polymers, luminescence, near-IR, oxygen sensors, ytterbium. [Extracted from the article]

Oxygen‐sensitive and near infrared (NIR) luminescent YbIII coordination polymers were synthesized incorporating ligands based on pyrene derivatives. The YbIII coordination polymers exhibited high thermal stability (decomposition temperature=400 °C), intense luminescence (emission quantum yield under Ar=6.6 %), and effective oxygen‐sensing characteristics. Thermally stable solid‐state lanthanide luminophores described herein are expected to open up new frontiers in the fields of materials science. For more information, see the Full Paper by Y. Hasegawa et al. on page 12308 ff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basaltic rocks occur widely on the terrestrial planets and differentiated asteroids, including the asteroid 4 Vesta. We conducted a shock recovery experiment with decaying compressive pulses on a terrestrial basalt at the Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan. The sample recorded a range of pressures, and shock physics modeling was conducted to add a pressure scale to the observed shock features. The shocked sample was examined by optical and electron microscopy, electron back‐scattered diffractometry, and Raman spectroscopy. We found that localized melting occurs at a lower pressure (∼10 GPa) than previously thought (>20 GPa). The shocked basalt near the epicenter represents "shock degree C" of a recently proposed classification scheme for basaltic eucrites and, as such, our results provide a pressure scale for the classification scheme. Finally, we estimated the total fraction of the basaltic eucrites classified as shock degree C to be ∼15% by assuming the impact velocity distribution onto Vesta. Plain Language Summary: Basaltic rocks occur on numerous planetary bodies, including Mars, the Moon, and the asteroid Vesta. Shock metamorphic features in meteorites from such bodies are the ancient imprints of past impact events. We can extract information about the bombardment histories experienced by such bodies if we have an accurate method to link the degree of metamorphism to the impact conditions. Although two such methods for basaltic rocks have been published, one of these does not have a scale that relates the shock features and peak pressures. In this study, we designed an impact experiment with a terrestrial basalt sample to add a pressure scale to one of these methods. We found that basaltic materials are more easily melted than previously expected. The shock features of our shocked sample match "shock degree C." The required pressure for producing the materials classified into this shock degree is 1–2 × 105 times greater than atmospheric pressure. Our results may provide insights into impact processes on Vesta. We estimate that the total fraction of meteorites from Vesta classified into shock degree C is ∼15%. Key Points: We investigated the shock effects in basaltic rocks with impact experiments and shock physics modelingWe added a pressure scale to the shock degree classification for basaltic eucrites, allowing us to link our results with the Stöffler tableLocalized melting occurs from 10 GPa rather than 20 GPa as previously thought [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation phenomena are usually observed during fracture of quartz-bearing rocks. Since quartz is a piezoelectric material, the associated electrical processes such as the electrification of fracture surface and the flight of electrons between fracture surfaces should be important for radiation during fractures. In this article, supposing that travelling electrons between crack surfaces cause the radiation, we experimentally investigate X-ray emission in a vacuum and visible-light emission in the atmosphere during rock and mineral fracture and verify the consistency of both emissions. The number of electrons in flight between surfaces during fracture that result in X-ray is estimated and the comparison with the number of photons in visible light suggests that one electron repeatedly collides with N2 molecules. The estimated number of collisions resulting in a visible-light emission is slightly less than the expected upper limit. This is reasonable because the collision would cause the light emission not always in the wavelengths of visible light. Moreover, the number of electrons resulting in X-rays is comparable with the number of electrons resulting in the emission of radio waves during fracture obtained in previous studies. Thus, we conclude that the radiations during fracture can be attributed to the flight of electrons between fracture surfaces. Finally, we evaluate the feasibility of observing the X-ray emission in planetary exploration and the radio waves and the visible light in natural earthquakes and find that these radiations are observable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Titan''s atmosphere consisting of N2 and CH4, large amounts of atomic hydrogen are produced by photochemical reactions during the formation of complex organics. This atomic hydrogen may undergo heterogeneous reactions with organic aerosol in the stratosphere and mesosphere of Titan. In order to investigate both the mechanisms and kinetics of the heterogeneous reactions, atomic deuterium is irradiated onto Titan tholin formed from N2 and CH4 gas mixtures at various surface-temperatures of the tholin ranging from 160 to 310 K. The combined analyses of the gas species and the exposed tholin indicate that the interaction mechanisms of atomic deuterium with the tholin are composed of three reactions; (a) abstraction of hydrogen from tholin resulting in gaseous HD formation (HD recombination), (b) addition of D atom into tholin (hydrogenation), and (c) removal of carbon and/or nitrogen (chemical erosion). The reaction probabilities of HD recombination and hydrogenation are obtained as and , respectively. The chemical erosion process is very inefficient under the conditions of temperature range of Titan''s stratosphere and mesosphere. Under Titan conditions, the rates of hydrogenation > HD recombination ≫ chemical erosion. Our measured HD recombination rate is about 10 times (with an uncertainty of a factor of 3–5) the prediction of previous theoretical model. These results imply that organic aerosol can remove atomic hydrogen efficiently from Titan''s atmosphere through the heterogeneous reactions and that the presence of aerosol may affect the subsequent organic chemistry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new numerical code based on the Distinct Element Method (DEM) is developed to study the impact cratering processes on granular material. This code has a potential advantage to simulate the cratering process on granular material, since the movement of discrete particles can be treated. To show the physical plausibility of this code, we conduct 3-D numerical simulations of vertical impact into granular material targets that consist of 384,000 particles, and compare the results with those from experimental studies. It is shown that the excavation stage of cratering derived from experimental studies is represented well by our simulation: the size of the crater cavity, and the ejecta velocity and angle distributions are consistent with those obtained in laboratory experiments. The impact simulation code developed in this study is thus suggested to be useful for the analysis of the impact cratering process on granular material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) possess positive-sense single-stranded RNA genomes and an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) element within their 5′-untranslated regions. To investigate the common host factors associated with these IRESs, we established cell lines expressing a bicistronic luciferase reporter plasmid containing an FMDV-IRES or CSFV-IRES element between the Renilla and firefly luciferase genes. First, we treated FMDV-IRES cells with the French maritime pine extract, Pycnogenol (PYC), and examined its suppressive effect on FMDV-IRES activity, as PYC has been reported to have antiviral properties. Next, we performed microarray analysis to identify the host factors that modified their expression upon treatment with PYC, and confirmed their function using specific siRNAs. We found that polycystic kidney disease 1-like 3 (PKD1L3) and ubiquitin-specific peptidase 31 (USP31) were associated with FMDV-IRES activity. Moreover, silencing of these factors significantly suppressed CSFV-IRES activity. Thus, PKD1L3 and USP31 are host factors associated with the functions of FMDV- and CSFV-IRES elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asteroid (99942) Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid. The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) recently proposed a rendezvous mission with Apophis, with a planned asteroid observation campaign to help determine the mission strategy in advance. In this study, we performed multicolor photometric observations of Apophis using the 1.0 m telescope at Kawabe Cosmic Park on 2021 March 10. The visible colors (g ′, r ′, and i ′) of Apophis were obtained. The average colors of Apophis during our observations were as follows: g ′ − r ′ = 0.618 ± 0.021 and r ′ − i ′ = 0.180 ± 0.021. No significant color variation was observed in r ′ − i ′, but a slight variation may have occurred in g ′ − r ′ during the observation period of 4.63 hr. The obtained colors appeared to match those of an Sq-class asteroid, which is the asteroid type previously determined for Apophis by Binzel et al. (2009 , Icarus, 200, 480) using the visible to near-infrared (0.55–2.45 μm) reflectance spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry lakebeds might constitute large volatile reservoirs on Mars. Hypervelocity impacts onto ancient dry lakebeds would have affected the volatile distribution on Mars. We developed a new experimental method to investigate the response of evaporitic minerals (halite and gypsum) to impact shocks in an open system. This technique does not result in chemical contamination from the operation of the gas gun. The technique is termed the "two‐valve method," and the gun system is located in the Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan. We detected the vaporization of halite at 31 GPa and devolatilization from gypsum at 11 GPa, suggesting that impact‐induced volatile release from dry lakebeds has periodically occurred throughout Martian history. The vaporization of halite deposits might have enhanced the production of perchlorates, which are found globally on Mars. The water loss from gypsum possibly explains the coexisting types of Ca‐sulfates found in Gale Crater. Plain Language Summary: We used a new experimental technique to investigate the result of a meteoroid impact into an evaporitic deposit on Mars. Although two‐stage light gas guns are ideal projectile launchers, the dirty gas from the gun has been a long‐standing limitation of this technique that so far greatly complicated analysis of the vapors that are generated due to such impacts. Our new method overcomes this limitation and allows us to measure impact‐generated vapor from evaporitic minerals. We detected NaCl vapor from halite and water vapor from gypsum at velocities lower than the typical impact velocities onto Mars. This suggests that volatile release from ancient dry lakebeds has periodically occurred throughout Martian history, due to stochastic meteoroid impacts. The nature of perchlorates and Ca‐sulfates found on Mars can be interpreted as the result of hypervelocity impacts onto dry lakebeds rich in evaporitic minerals. Key Points: Gas release from halite and gypsum was studied using a two‐stage light gas gun setup that avoids contamination of impact vapors from gun‐related gasesVaporization of halite at 31 GPa and devolatilization (water loss) from gypsum at 11 GPa were detectedImpacts might have resulted in efficient production of perchlorates in Martian soil and produced the anhydrite found in Gale Crater [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The high-temperature (33–98 °C), highly acidic (pH 2.44–2.94) Goshogake mud volcano field in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan, is a mud volcano system associated with the Quaternary andesitic composite volcano Akita Yakeyama. The mud volcano features observed in Goshogake include salsa ponds, gryphons, and mud pots. This is a rare example of mud volcano systems linked with magmatic volcanism with the full range of landforms observed primarily in low-temperature mud volcanism in sedimentary settings. The Goshogake mud volcano field is probably not a simple hydrothermal system related to a magmatic volcano. Instead, it appears to be a hybrid system: sedimentary volcanism linked with deep mud sources and strongly influenced by its surrounding magmatic volcanism. The identified mineral species in the sampled mud include quartz group, hydrous silica, muscovite, kaolinite, pyrite, and sulfur. The presence of high-temperature silica polymorphs (tridymite and cristobalite) and/or microcrystalline opals (opal-C, opal-CT), and an amorphous form of silica (opal-A) in the mineralogy indicates that the mud volcano system likely involves conditions and processes such as high temperature, hydrothermal circulation, dehydration reaction at certain depths underneath the Goshogake mud volcano field. Although the source of the mud is not clearly determined, possible options include 1) hydrothermal alteration products of host rocks and sediments, 2) fine-grained sedimentary layer(s) at depth, or 3) a combination of 1) and 2). In-situ measurement of emitted gases from vents detected methane, which is possibly linked with the organic-rich sedimentary layer(s) aside from being a product of thermodynamic equilibrium with CO 2 under the subsurface pressure-temperature conditions. The increases in δD and δ18O of water in Goshogake mud volcanoes with respect to the values of current meteoric water indicates that the water was derived not only from meteoric water, and deviation of the values may be explained by processes such as evaporation and mixing of other waters from deeper sources. Regarding the driving mechanisms at the Goshogake mud volcanoes, buoyancy of muddy sediment, high fluid pressure under overpressured or under-compacted conditions due to rapid sedimentation, together with the presence of a gas phase in the sediment, could be key factors. Although the Goshogake mud volcano field currently maintains a low-level activity resulting in only minor morphological changes of the mud volcano landforms, enhanced activities have been documented in the last half century. The historical records are inconclusive about the relationship between earthquakes and activity in the Goshogake mud volcano field. Highlights • The Goshogake mud volcano field in Japan is an acidic, high-temperature system. • This active field exhibits a wide range of mud volcano morphology. • The mineralogy indicates high temperature, hydrothermal circulation, dehydration. • The mud originates by alteration, from deep sedimentary layer(s), and/or both. • This field appears to be a hybrid system of sedimentary and magmatic volcanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tsenkher structure in the Gobi-Altai, Mongolia is a c. 3.7 km diameter crater with a well-preserved ejecta blanket. It has been hypothesized to be either of impact or volcanic origin in our previous work. Observations during our 2007 expedition and related sample analyses give further support for an impact origin. The evidence includes the presence of a structurally uplifted near-circular rim surrounded by an ejecta blanket, and abundant breccias, some of which are melt- and millimetre-scale spherule-bearing. Planar deformation features (PDFs) were found in one quartz grain in a breccia sample. Fe-rich grains are found in a vesicular melt sample that is also characterized by elevated platinum group element (PGE) abundances with respect to the sedimentary bedrock of the area (approximately an order of magnitude). Noble gas analysis of one breccia sample yielded an elevated 3He/4He value of (5.0±0.2) × 10−6. Although not conclusive alone, these geochemical results are consistent with a contribution of meteoritic components. A volcanic origin, in particular a maar formation, would require explanations for the unusual conditions associated with Tsenkher, including its large size occurring in isolation, the structurally uplifted rim and the lack of a bedded base surge deposit. A pronounced rampart structure observed at the eastern ejecta is also unusual for any volcanic origin. 40Ar–39Ar dating of a vesicular melt sample gives an age of the Tsenkher structure of 4.9±0.9 Ma. The rampart structure could provide insights into the formation of similar ejecta morphologies associated with numerous impact craters on Mars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose that the shape of impact fragments reflects their fragmentation mechanisms; the fragmentation process that generates smaller fragments (fractal crack bifurcation) produces the shapes frequently observed in the previous studies, and those that generate larger fragments (spallation, random tessellation, and geometrical effects) produce flatter fragments. Fragment shape analyses derived from hypervelocity impact experiments in a variety of mass distribution ranges qualitatively support this view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a series of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) experiments for K measurements under high vacuum conditions (10 - 6 Pa) for the purpose of developing in-situ isochron type K–Ar dating instruments for planetary missions. Unlike whole rock measurement methods, isochron measurements require LIBS experiments in a vacuum chamber because simultaneous Ar isotopic measurements are necessary. However, detailed examination of detection limits and accuracy of this method at low pressures has not been examined extensively before. In this study, the capability of K measurements under high vacuum conditions was examined using LIBS. A compact Czerny-Turner type spectrometer equipped with a charge-coupled device (CCD) as a detector was employed. Twenty-three geologic standard samples were measured using the LIBS method. The second strongest K emission line at 769.89 nm was used for calibration because the strongest emission line at 766.49 nm may suffer from strong interference from another emission line. A calibration curve was constructed for K using internal normalization with the oxygen line at 777 nm and well fitted by a power-law function. Based on the prediction band method, the detection limit and the quantitation limit were estimated to be 300 and 800 ppm, respectively. The 1σ relative uncertainty of the K calibration was 20% for 1 wt.% K 2 O and 40% for 3000 ppm K 2 O. If the amount of Ar is measured with 15% error for the 3.5 billion years rocks containing 1 and 0.3 wt.% K 2 O, the K–Ar ages would be determined with 10% and 20% 1σ errors, respectively. This level of precision will significantly improve the current Martian chronology, which has uncertainty about a factor of two to four. These results indicate that the concentration of K can be measured quantitatively under high vacuum conditions using a combination of instruments that have previously been carried in planetary missions, which suggests the viability of building in situ isochron K–Ar dating instruments with LIBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol (CH 3 OH) is one of the primordial volatiles contained within icy solids in the outer solar nebula. This paper investigates the impact chemistry of CH 3 OH ice through a series of impact experiments. We discuss its fate during the accretion and evolution stages of large icy bodies, and assess the possibility of intact delivery of cometary volatiles to the lunar surface. Our experimental results show that the peak shock pressures for initial and complete dissociation of CH 3 OH ice are approximately 9 and 28 GPa, respectively. We also found that CO is more abundant than CH 4 in the gas-phase products of impact-induced CH 3 OH dissociation. Our results further show that primordial CH 3 OH within icy planetesimals could have survived low-velocity impacts during accretion of icy satellites and dwarf planets. These results suggest that CH 3 OH may have been a source of soluble reducing carbon and that it may have acted as antifreeze in liquid interior oceans of large icy bodies. In contrast, CH 3 OH acquired by accretion on icy satellites and Ceres would have been dissociated efficiently by subsequent impacts, perhaps during the heavy bombardment period, owing to the expected high impact velocities. For example, if Callisto originally contained CH 3 OH, cometary impacts during the late heavy bombardment period would have resulted in the formation of a substantial atmosphere (ca. ⩾10 −4 bar) composed of CO, H 2 , and CH 4 . To account for the current CO levels in Titan’s atmosphere, the CH 3 OH content in its crust may have been much lower than that typical of comets. Our numerical simulations also indicate that intact delivery of cometary CH 3 OH to the lunar surface would not have occurred, which suggests that CH 3 OH found in a persistently-shadowed lunar region probably formed through low-temperature surface chemistry on regolith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lonar, a 1.8-km-diameter impact crater in India, is a rare example of terrestrial impact craters formed in basaltic bedrock. The estimated age of the crater ranges widely from less than 12ka to over 600ka, but the crater preserves a relatively pristine morphology. We conducted a study of various drainage systems of Lonar Crater. The crater floor hosts a shallow 5-m-deep lake, which fluctuates seasonally. Our investigation reveals that the lake level is influenced by surface runoff that is active during the monsoon and groundwater input effective during both the rainy and the dry seasons. The groundwater discharge is observed as springs on the inner rim walls corresponding to weathered vesicular basalt and/or proximal ejecta, which are underlain by thick massive basalt layers. This observation indicates that groundwater movement is lithologically controlled: it passes preferentially through permeable vesicular basalt or proximal ejecta but is hindered in less permeable massive basalt. It is hypothesized that groundwater is also structurally controlled by dipping of basalt layers, interconnectivity of the permeable lithologic units through fractures, and preferential pathways such as fractures within the permeable lithologic units. Investigation on hydrological processes at Lonar Crater and its lake could provide useful insights into purported paleo-crater lakes presumably formed in the basaltic crust of Mars. The Lonar Crater interior shows signs of degradation in the forms of gullies and debris flows, and the Dhar valley incising in the rim leading to form a fan delta. The ejecta surface is characterized by the presence of channels, originating from the rim area and extending radially away from the crater center. The channels probably resulted from surface runoff, and its erosion contributes to the removal of the ejecta. Lonar Crater is a valuable analog site for studying degradation processes with potential application to impact craters occurring on hydrologically active ancient Mars, or to other impact craters on Earth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The mass extinction event at the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary 65.5 Myr ago has been widely attributed to the Chicxulub impact, but the mechanisms of extinction remain debated. In the oceans, near-surface planktonic foraminifera suffered severe declines, in contrast to the relatively high survival rates of bottom-dwelling benthic foraminifera. The vapour produced by an impact into Chicxulub's target rocks, which include sulphate-rich anhydrite, could have led to global acid rain, which can explain the pattern of oceanic extinctions. However, it has been suggested that most of the sulphur in the target rocks would have been released as sulphur dioxide and would have stayed in the stratosphere for a long time. Here we show, from impact experiments into anhydrite at velocities exceeding 10 km s−1, that sulphur trioxide dominates over sulphur dioxide in the resulting vapour cloud. Our experiments suggest that the Chicxulub impact released a huge quantity of sulphur trioxide into the atmosphere, where it would have rapidly combined with water vapour to form sulphuric acid aerosol particles. We also find, using a theoretical model of aerosol coagulation following the Chicxulub impact, that larger silicate particles ejected during the impact efficiently scavenge sulphuric acid aerosol particles and deliver the sulphuric acid to the surface within a few days. The rapid surface deposition of sulphuric acid would cause severe ocean acidification and account for preferential extinction of planktonic over benthic foraminifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-established constraint on the size of non-porous olivine grains or the porosity of aggregates consisting of small olivine grains from prominent narrow peaks in thermal infrared spectra characteristic of crystalline silicates is reexamined. To thoroughly investigate thermal infrared peaks, we make theoretical argument for the absorption and scattering of light by non-porous, non-spherical olivine particles, which is followed by numerical verification. Our study provides perfectly rational explanations of the physics behind the small-particle effect of emission peaks in the framework of classical electrodynamics and convincing evidence of small-particle's emission peaks in the literature. While resonant absorption excited by surface roughness on the order of submicrometer scales can be identified even for non-porous olivine particles with a radius of 10 μ m, it makes only a negligible contribution to thermal infrared spectra of the particles. In contrast, the porosity of non-spherical particles has a significant impact on the strength and wavelength of the peaks, while the resonant absorption excited by an ensemble of small grains takes place at a wavelength different than one expects for surface roughness. We finally reaffirm that twin peaks of olivine in thermal infrared spectra of dust particles in astronomical environments are the intrinsic diagnostic characters of submicrometer-sized small grains and their aggregate particles in fluffy and porous configurations. • Twin peaks of olivine particles in the infrared spectra are revisited in the framework of classical electrodynamics. • Resonant absorption excited by submicrometer-sized surface roughness is negligible to the infrared peaks. • The porosity of non-spherical particles has a significant impact on the strength and wavelength of the peaks. • Twin spectral peaks of olivine particles in the thermal infrared diagnose the sizes and porosities of the particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The shock-induced decarbonation of non-porous calcite was investigated in an open system over a wide range of peak shock pressures using a two-stage light gas gun and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. We developed a new experimental technique that avoids chemical contamination from the acceleration gas used in the gun. High-speed imaging and spectroscopic observations were conducted simultaneously to investigate the validity of the experimental procedure. The decarbonation efficiency along the Hugoniot curve changed at around 50GPa—the approximate incipient decarbonation pressure predicted by the previous theoretical studies. Decarbonation, albeit at a low efficiency, was detected at pressures below the 50GPa threshold, as observed in previous experimental studies, possibly as a result of energy localization due to a process like shear banding. A simple theoretical model for shock-induced decarbonation during isentropic release was constructed based on the entropy method and the lever rule, assuming the experimental conditions. The predicted amount of released CO2 as a function of the peak shock pressure agreed well with the experimental results at pressures exceeding 50GPa, strongly suggesting that the amount of shock-induced CO2 gas was determined only by the shock-induced entropy gain and by the entropies for incipient and complete decarbonation at the ambient pressure. In future experiments, the new method will be used for quantitative measurements of the chemical composition of impact-induced gases derived from other solid materials. The proposed method is useful in determining the peak shock pressure required for vaporization/devolatilization of geologic materials and for estimating the final chemical composition of impact-induced vapor clouds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We discuss in this paper possible roles of methane and carbon dioxide in geological processes on Mars. These volatiles in the martian crust may migrate upward from their sources either directly or via various traps (structural, sedimentary, ground ice, gas hydrates). They are then likely emitted to the atmosphere by seepage or through diverse vent structures. Though gas hydrates have never been directly detected on Mars, theoretical studies favor their presence in the crust and polar caps; they could have played an important role as significant gas reservoirs in the subsurface. The martian gas hydrates would possibly be a binary system of methane and carbon dioxide occupying clathrate cavities. Landforms such as mud volcanoes with well-known linkage to gas venting are extensively distributed on Earth, and methane is the primary gas involved. Thus, identification of these landforms on Mars could suggest that methane and possibly carbon dioxide have contributed to geological processes of the planet. For example, we present a newly identified field in Chryse Planitia where features closely resembling terrestrial mud volcanoes occur widely, though with no observable activity. We also present results of a preliminary search for possible recent or present-day, methane-emission zones in the regions over which enrichments of atmospheric methane have been reported. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The synthesis of organic molecules via chemical reactions within impact vapor plumes has been proposed as a mechanism to supply organics on a planet. However, the kinetics of chemical reactions within a rapidly expanding vapor plume or quenching process of the reactions has not been studied extensively. In this study, we constructed a new numerical model that calculates kinetics of the entire chemical reactions within an impact vapor plume. Numerical results revealed that the semi-analytical models proposed so far, in which the final amount of a chemical species was given by the equilibrium abundance at the quenching temperature of the fastest reaction path involving the species, underestimates the yield of organic molecules, such as HCN, by up to a factor of 10. This is because the previously used assumption that a species can achieve equilibrium with the rest of the reaction system via the fastest reaction path involving the species is not necessarily valid. Our analysis of the high-temperature H/C/N/O reaction system suggests that the quenching of slow reactions divides the reaction network into smaller reaction sub-systems isolated from the rest of the reaction system. Then, the fastest reaction path cannot equilibrate an isolated reaction sub-system with the rest of the reaction system. Simulation of this actual disequilibrium mechanism requires a simultaneous numerical calculation of the entire reaction network, which is equivalent to conducting a full kinetic model calculation, such as our model. Our numerical code makes it possible to discuss quantitatively the impact chemistry for various situations, such as the Galilean satellites. In this study, our numerical model is applied to the delivery of organic molecules via cometary impact on the Galilean satellites. Our numerical results indicate that small-particle impacts would produce HCN efficiently. Resulting HCN may freeze out immediately and be deposited on satellite surfaces, where it may be eventually converted into complex organics via irradiation of charged particle. On the other hand, large-size impacts may form transient CH4–N2 atmospheres, in which complex organics (tholin) may be formed via energy deposition of UV and/or charged particle. Resulting complex organics may subsequently precipitate on the satellite surfaces without clear correlation with the locations of impact craters. Such distribution of complex organics created by chemical reactions within vapor plumes due to cometary impacts may explain an absorption (4.57μm) on Galilean satellites nonassociated with observable (moderate- and large-size) impact craters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chemical reactions and volatile supply through hypervelocity impacts may have played a key role for the origin and evolution of both planetary and satellite atmospheres. In this study, we evaluate the role of impact-induced N2 production from reduced nitrogen-bearing solids proposed to be contained in Titan’s crust, ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), for the replenishment of N2 to the atmosphere in Titan’s history. To investigate the conversion of (NH4)2SO4 into N2 by hypervelocity impacts, we measured gases released from (NH4)2SO4 that was exposed to hypervelocity impacts created by a laser gun. The sensitivity and accuracy of the measurements were enhanced by using an isotope labeling technique for the target. We obtained the efficiency of N2 production from (NH4)2SO4 as a function of peak shock pressure ranging from ∼8 to ∼45GPa. Our results indicate that the initial and complete shock pressures for N2 degassing from (NH4)2SO4 are ∼10 and ∼25GPa, respectively. These results suggest that cometary impacts on Titan (i.e., impact velocity vi >∼8km/s) produce N2 efficiently; whereas satellitesimal impacts during the accretion (i.e., vi <4km/s) produce N2 only inefficiently. Even when using the proposed small amount of (NH4)2SO4 content in the crust (∼4 wt.%) (Fortes, A.D. et al., 2007. Icarus 188, 139–153), the total amount of N2 provided through cometary impacts over 4.5Ga reaches ∼2–6 times the present atmospheric N2 (i.e., ∼7×1020–2×1021 [mol]) based on the measured production efficiency and results of a hydrodynamic simulation of cometary impacts onto Titan. This implies that cometary impacts onto Titan’s crust have the potential to account for a large part of the present N2 through the atmospheric replenishment after the accretion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ 13C) and chain-length distribution [ACL and n-C31/(n-C29 + n-C31)] of sedimentary leaf wax n-alkanes were investigated across the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary at Loma Capiro, Central Cuba, to reconstruct paleoenvironmental changes that are recorded in terrestrial higher plants. The stratigraphic profiles of the n-alkane δ 13C values show a negative excursion in the lowermost Paleocene, although its magnitude is much smaller (∼0.3‰) than the global signals (1.5 to 2.0‰) in the surface ocean-atmospheric carbon reservoir. Relations between the n-alkane δ 13C values and the C31/(C29 +C31) ratios exhibit two different trends, suggesting that our δ 13C records are likely affected by two types of paleoenvironmental factors in addition to the δ 13C variations in the exogenous carbon reservoir. Rare occurrence of terrigenous organic matter that is usually transported by rivers suggests that the n-alkanes at Loma Capiro are likely to have been transported by trade winds, which recorded paleoenvironmental conditions of the northwestern part of the African continent. The n-alkane δ 13C values show a parallel decrease with the ACL and C31/(C29 +C31) values in the first 37,000yr following the K–Pg boundary. Such decreases are consistent with plant physiological responses to reduced net evaporation, suggesting a possible influence of the impact-induced warm-humid condition in the early Paleocene. In contrast, the n-alkane δ 13C values are negatively correlated with the C31/(C29 +C31) ratios from 40,000 to 67,000yr after the K–Pg boundary. This time period matches well with that required for the recovery of terrestrial floras from the K–Pg mass extinction to those with diversity equivalent to the late Cretaceous, suggesting that the n-alkane signals are also likely affected by the plant diversification process after the mass extinction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper describes observations of crater growth up to the time of transient crater formation and presents a new empirical model for transient crater growth as a function of time. Polycarbonate projectiles were impacted vertically into soda-lime glass sphere targets using a single-stage light-gas gun. Using a new technique with a laser sheet illuminating the target [Barnouin-Jha, O.S., Yamamoto, S., Toriumi, T., Sugita, S., Matsui, T., 2007. Non-intrusive measurements of the crater growth. Icarus, 188, 506–521], we measured the temporal change in diameter of crater cavities (diameter growth). The rate of increase in diameter at early times follows a power law relation, but the data at later times (before the end of transient crater formation) deviates from the power law relation. In addition, the power law exponent at early times and the degree of deviation from a power law at later times depend on the target. In order to interpret these features, we proposed to modify Maxwell’s Z-model under the assumption that the strength of the excavation flow field decreases exponentially with time. We also derived a diameter growth model as: , where is the apparent diameter of the crater cavity at time t after impact, and and are constants. We demonstrated that the diameter growth model could represent well the experimental data for various targets with different target material properties, such as porosity or angle of repose. We also investigated the diameter growth for a dry sand target, which has been used to formulate previous scaling relations. The obtained results showed that the dry sand target has larger degree of deviation from a power law, indicating that the target material properties of the dry sand target have a significant effect on diameter growth, especially at later times. This may suggest that the previously reported scaling relations should be reexamined in order to account for the late-stage behavior with the effect of target material properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Shock-induced devolatilization in hypervelocity impacts has been considered to play important roles in the atmospheric evolution and mass extinctions in Earth''s history. Although the chemical composition of shock-induced gas species from carbonate rocks has been considered as a key to understand the environmental change after the Chicxulub impact, it has not been investigated extensively before. Here, we conduct direct measurements of the chemical composition (CO/CO2) of shock-induced gas species from calcite (CaCO3) using both a laser gun system and an isotopic labeling technique. The CO/CO2 ratio of the shock-induced gas species from calcite is measured to be 2.02±0.41, suggesting that gaseous CO has been dominant in the shock-induced gases in the Chicxulub impact. In order to evaluate the environmental effects of the injection of CO gas, we investigated the post-impact atmospheric chemistry by incorporating our experimental results into a tropospheric photochemical model. The results suggest that an intense (2–5 °C) global warming would have lasted for several years after a Chicxulub-size impact mainly due to the greenhouse effect of tropospheric O3, which is produced via photochemical reactions associated with CO gas. Such an intense global warming could have damaged the biosphere in the mass extinction at the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–P) boundary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the key components controlling the chemical composition and climatology of Titan''s atmosphere is the removal of reactive atomic hydrogen from the atmosphere. A proposed process of the removal of atomic hydrogen is the heterogeneous reaction with organic aerosol. In this study, we investigate the effect of heterogeneous reactions in Titan''s atmospheric chemistry using new measurements of the heterogeneous reaction rate [Sekine, Y., Imanaka, H., Matsui, T., Khare, B.N., Bakes, E.L.O., McKay, C.P., Sugita, S., 2008. Icarus 194, 186–200] in a one-dimensional photochemical model. Our results indicate that 60–75% of the atomic hydrogen in the stratosphere and mesosphere are consumed by the heterogeneous reactions. This result implies that the heterogeneous reactions on the aerosol surface may predominantly remove atomic hydrogen in Titan''s stratosphere and mesosphere. The results of our calculation also indicate that a low concentration of atomic hydrogen enhances the concentrations of unsaturated complex organics, such as C4H2 and phenyl radical, by more than two orders in magnitude around 400 km in altitude. Such an increase in unsaturated species may induce efficient haze production in Titan''s mesosphere and upper stratosphere. These results imply a positive feedback mechanism in haze production in Titan''s atmosphere. The increase in haze production would affect the chemical composition of the atmosphere, which might induce further haze production. Such a positive feedback could tend to dampen the loss and supply cycles of CH4 due to an episodic CH4 release into Titan''s atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The tsunami of 2004 in the Indian Ocean transported thousands of meters-long boulders shoreward at Pakarang Cape, Thailand. We investigated size, position and long axis orientation of 467 boulders at the cape. Most of boulders found at the cape are well rounded, ellipsoid in shape, without sharp broken edges. They were fragments of reef rocks and their sizes were estimated to be < 14m3 (22.7t). The distribution pattern and orientation of long axis of boulders reflect the inundation pattern and behavior of the tsunami waves. It was found that there is no clear evidence indicating monotonous fine/coarse shoreward trends of these boulders along each transect line. On the other hand, the large boulders were deposited repeatedly along the three arcuate lines at the intertidal zone with a spacing of approximately 136m interval. This distribution pattern may suggest that long-lasting oscillatory flows might have repositioned the boulders and separated the big ones from small. No boulders were found on land, indicating that the hydraulic force of the tsunami wave rapidly dissipated on reaching the land due to the higher bottom friction and the presence of a steep slope. We further conducted numerical calculation of tsunami inundation at Pakarang Cape. According to the calculation, the sea receded and the major part of the tidal bench (area with boulders at present) was exposed above the sea surface before the arrival of the first tsunami wave. The first tsunami wave arrived at the cape from west to east at approximately 130min after the tsunami generation, and then inundated inlands. Our calculation shows that tsunami wave was focused around the offshore by a small cove at the reef edge and spread afterwards in a fan-like shape on the tidal bench. The critical wave velocities necessary to move the largest and average-size boulders by sliding can be estimated to be approximately 3.2 and 2.0m/s, respectively. The numerical result indicates that the maximum current velocity of the first tsunami wave was estimated to be from 8 to 15m/s between the reef edge and approximately 500m further offshore. This range is large enough for moving even the largest boulder shoreward. These suggest that the tsunami waves that were directed eastward, struck the reef rocks and coral colonies, originally located on the shallow sea bottom near the reef edge, and detached and transported the boulders shoreward. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An experimental technique to measure crater growth is presented whereby a high speed video captures profiles of a crater forming after impact obtained using a vertical laser sheet centered on the impact point. Unlike previous so called “quarter-space experiments,” where projectiles were launched along a transparent Plexiglas sheet so that growth of half a crater could be viewed, the use of the laser sheet permits viewing changes in crater shape without any physical interference to the cratering process. This technique indicates that for low velocity impacts () into 220 μm glass beads that are without cohesion and where the projectile is not disrupted, craters initially grow somewhat proportionally, but that later their depths remain essentially constant while their diameters continue to expand. In addition, these experiments indicate that as the impact velocity increases, the rate of growth and the transient depth to diameter ratio at the end of ejecta excavation decreases. These last two observations are probably due to the large time of penetration of the projectile, which becomes a significant fraction of the time of crater formation. This is contrary to the expectations for the scaling rules, which assumes a point source. Very high curtain angles (>45°) are also seen, and could be due to the low friction angle of the target. Significant crater modification, which is rarely seen in “quarter-space experiments,” is also observed and appears to be controlled by the dynamic angle of repose of the target. These latter observations indicate that differences in target friction angles may need to be considered when determining near rim ejecta-mass distributions and large-scale crater modification processes on the planets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We experimentally studied the formation and collapse processes of transient craters. Polycarbonate projectiles with mass of 0.49 g were impacted into the soda-lime glass sphere target (mean diameters of glass spheres are ∼36, 72, and 220 μm, respectively) using a single-stage light-gas gun. Impact velocity ranged from 11 to 329 m s−1. We found that the transient crater collapses even at laboratory scales. The shape (diameter and depth) of the transient crater differs from that of the final crater. The depth–rim diameter ratios of the final and transient craters are 0.11–0.14 and 0.26–0.27, respectively. The rim diameter of both the transient and final crater depends on target material properties; however, the ratio of final to transient crater diameter does not. This suggests that target material properties affect the formation process of transient craters even in the gravity regime, and must be taken into account when scaling experimental results to planetary scales. By observing impacts into glass sphere targets, we show that although the early stage of the excavation flow does not depend on the target material properties, the radial expansion of the cavity after the end of vertical expansion does. This suggests that the effect of target material properties is specifically important in the later part of the crater excavation and collapse. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Tsenkher structure, in the Gobi-Altai region of Mongolia, was studied using a wide array of remote sensing data and field observations. The structure has a shallow, 3.6 km wide, central depression bordered by a near-circular ridge (putative crater rim) with breaches to the northwest. The central depression is obliterated partially by fluvial infill through these breaches. Outside the ridge, the western side is a rugged terrain, but the eastern half is characterized by a concentric outer ridge that occurs at about one radius distance from the inner ridge. Although intrusion, salt tectonics and maar crater hypotheses cannot be completely ruled out, its morphology strongly implies an impact origin for the Tsenkher structure. If of impact origin, it has a well-preserved morphology and its position in the basin fills indicates that the formation may have occurred relatively recently, sometime during the late Tertiary or Quaternary. The outer ridge morphology is similar to rampart craters on Mars, whose formation has been attributed to fluidization of a water-rich target layer and ejecta materials, or to atmospheric entrainment and deposition of ejected materials. However, other hypotheses including erosional remnant of ejecta blanket, erosional scarp of structural rim uplift, multi-ring or deeply eroded crater rim of a peak-ring crater are also possible at this stage. A complex fluvial and probable lacustrine history is envisaged within the Tsenkher structure. The structure is also associated with archaeology, including Paleolithic and Bronze Age remains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We measured the velocity distributions of impact ejecta with velocities higher than ∼100 m s−1 (high-velocity ejecta) for impacts at variable impact angle α into unconsolidated targets of small soda-lime glass spheres. Polycarbonate projectiles with mass of 0.49 g were accelerated to ∼250 m s−1 by a single-stage light-gas gun. The impact ejecta are detected by thin aluminum foils placed around the targets. We analyzed the holes on the aluminum foils to derive the total number and volume of ejecta that penetrated the aluminum foils. Using the minimum velocity of the ejecta for penetration, determined experimentally, the velocity distributions of the high-velocity ejecta were obtained at , 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°. The velocity distribution of the high-velocity ejecta is shown to depend on impact angle. The quantity of the high-velocity ejecta for vertical impact () is considerably lower than derived from a power-law relation for the velocity distribution on the low-velocity ejecta (less than 10 m s−1). On the other hand, in oblique impacts, the quantity of the high-velocity ejecta increases with decreasing impact angle, and becomes comparable to those derived from the power-law relation. We attempt to scale the high-velocity ejecta for oblique impacts to a new scaling law, in which the velocity distribution is scaled by the cube of projectile radius (scaled volume) and a horizontal component of impactor velocity (scaled ejection velocity), respectively. The high-velocity ejecta data shows a good correlation between the scaled volume and the scaled ejection velocity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fischer–Tropsch catalysis, which converts CO and H2 into CH4 on the surface of iron catalyst, has been proposed to produce the CH4 on Titan during its formation process in a circum-planetary subnebula. However, Fischer–Tropsch reaction rate under the conditions of subnebula have not been measured quantitatively yet. In this study, we conduct laboratory experiments to determine CH4 formation rate and also conduct theoretical calculation of clathrate formation to clarify the significance of Fischer–Tropsch catalysis in a subnebula. Our experimental result indicates that the range of conditions where Fischer–Tropsch catalysis proceeds efficiently is narrow () in a subnebula because the catalysts are poisoned at temperatures above 600 K under the condition of subnebula (i.e., H2/CO=1000). This suggests that an entire subnebula may not become rich in CH4 but rather that only limited region of a subnebula may enriched in CH4 (i.e., CH4-rich band formation). Our experimental result also suggests that both CO and CO2 are converted into CH4 within time significantly shorter than the lifetime of the solar nebula at the optimal temperatures around 550 K. The calculation result of clathration shows that CO2-rich satellitesimals are formed in the catalytically inactive outer region of subnebula. In the catalytically active inner region, CH4-rich satellitesimals are formed. The resulting CH4-rich satellitesimals formed in this region play an important role in the origin of CH4 on Titan. When our experimental data are applied to a high-pressure model for subnebula evolution, it would predict that there should be CO2 underneath the Iapetus subsurface and no thick CO2 ice layer on Titan''s icy crust. Such surface and subsurface composition, which may be observed by Cassini–Huygens mission, would provide crucial information on the origin of icy satellites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn, has a thick nitrogen/methane atmosphere with a thick global organic haze. A laboratory analogue of Titan''s haze, called tholin, was formed in an inductively coupled plasma from nitrogen/methane=90/10 gas mixture at various pressures ranging from 13 to 2300 Pa. Chemical and optical properties of the resulting tholin depend on the deposition pressure in cold plasma. Structural analyses by IR and UV/VIS spectroscopy, microprobe laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, and Raman spectroscopy suggest that larger amounts of aromatic ring structures with larger cluster size are formed at lower pressures (13 and 26 Pa) than at higher pressures (160 and 2300 Pa). Nitrogen is more likely to incorporate into carbon networks in tholins formed at lower pressures, while nitrogen is bonded as terminal groups at higher pressures. Elemental analysis reveals that the carbon/nitrogen ratio in tholins increases from 1.5–2 at lower pressures to 3 at 2300 Pa. The increase in the aromatic compounds and the decrease in C/N ratio in tholin formed at low pressures indicate the presence of the nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds in tholin formed at low pressures. Tholin formed at high pressure (2300 Pa) consists of a polymer-like branched chain structure terminated with &z.sbnd;CH3, &z.sbnd;NH2, and &z.sbnd;C&z.tbnd;N with few aromatic compounds. Reddish-brown tholin films formed at low pressures (13–26 Pa) shows stronger absorptions (almost 10 times larger k-value) in the UV/VIS range than the yellowish tholin films formed at high pressures (160 and 2300 Pa). The tholins formed at low pressures may be better representations of Titan''s haze than those formed at high pressures, because the optical properties of tholin formed at low pressures agree well with that of Khare et al. (1984a, Icarus 60, 127–137), which have been shown to account for Titan''s observed geometric albedo. Thus, the nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds we find in tholin formed at low pressure may be present in Titan''s haze. These aromatic compounds may have a significant influence on the thermal structure and complex organic chemistry in Titan''s atmosphere, because they are efficient absorbers of UV radiation and efficient charge exchange intermediaries. Our results also indicate that the haze layers at various altitudes might have different chemical and optical properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]