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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Rn-222 tracing and stable isotope measurements of biogenic gas fluxes from methane saturated sediments

Transport of reduced biogenic gases from anoxic sediments and soils to the atmosphere can be quantitatively studied through measurement of radon-222/radium-226 disequilibrium. In previous work, seasonal variations in biogenic gas transport mechanisms, net fluxes and overall composition were documented. Now presented are direct field measurements of radon-222 activity in gases exiting organic rich sediments which show their usefulness for tracing of the stripping of dissolved biogenic gases from within the sediment column and transport via bubble ebullition. Methane is depleted in deuterium during the summer as compared with winter months and is in general lighter than in most marine sediments signaling the probable importance of acetate as an important precursor molecule. The significant seasonal isotopic variations observed illustrate the importance of understanding mechanisms and rates of biogenic gas production in order to interpret observed tropospheric isotopic data.

Martens, Christopher S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Chemical and Isotopic Analysis of Trace Organic Matter on Meteorites and Interstellar Dust Using a Laser Microprobe Instrument

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of considerable interest today because they are ubiquitous on Earth and in the interstellar medium (ISM). In fact, about 20% of cosmic carbon in the galaxy is estimated to be in the form of PAHs. Investigation of these species has obvious uses for determining the cosmochemistry of the solar system. Work in this laboratory has focused on four main areas: 1) Mapping the spatial distribution of PAHs in a variety of meteoritic samples and comparing this distribution with mineralogical features of the meteorite to determine whether a correlation exists between the two. 2) Developing a method for detection of fullerenes in extraterrestrial samples using microprobe Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectroscopy and utilizing this technique to investigate fullerene presence, while exploring the possibility of spatially mapping the fullerene distribution in these samples through in situ detection. 3) Investigating a possible formation pathway for meteoritic and ancient terrestrial kerogen involving the photochemical reactions of PAHs with alkanes under prebiotic and astrophysically relevant conditions. 4) Studying reaction pathways and identifying the photoproducts generated during the photochemical evolution of PAH-containing interstellar ice analogs as part of an ongoing collaboration with researchers at the Astrochemistry Lab at NASA Ames. All areas involve elucidation of the solar system formation and chemistry using microprobe Laser Desorption Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometry. A brief description of microprobe Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectroscopy, which allows selective investigation of subattomole levels of organic species on the surface of a sample at 10-40 micrometer spatial resolution, is given.

Zare, Richard N.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Petrogenesis of Challis volcanics from central and southwestern Idaho - Trace element and Pb isotopic evidence

An analysis of the lava flows and ash-flow tuffs in Idaho is conducted to determine the composition of the volcanics in terms of major and trace elements and Pb isotopic substances. Al2O3 is found to be low, MgO content is high, and the concentration of K2O is higher or equal to that of Na2O with respect to the lavas of mafic to intermediate composition. Trace elements and element ratios are compatible with the crustal component, and the Pb isotopic compositions suggest a lack of assimilation during crystallization. The evidence does not support the notion of a magma system related to subduction, and the data regarding Pb isotopes and trace elements point to a connection with the lithosphere. A model is proposed for the Challis volcanics in which they resulted from completely melting within the lithosphere and then extending during the late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic compression.

Norman, Marc D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Atmospheric Trace Gas Abundances and Stable Isotope Ratios via IR-LIF

We propose to develop new technologies with support provided by PIDDP that will enable the in situ measurements of abundances and stable isotope ratios in important radiatively and biogenically active gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water, methane, nitrous oxide, and hydrogen sulfide to very high precision (0.1 per mil or better for the isotopic ratios, for example). Such measurements, impossible at present, could provide pivotal new constraints on the global (bio)geochemical budgets of these critical species, and could also be used to examine the dynamics of atmospheric transport on Mars, Titan, and other solar system bodies. We believe the combination of solid state light sources with imaging of the IR laser induced fluorescence (IR-LIF) via newly available detector arrays will make such in situ measurements possible for the first time. Even under ambient terrestrial conditions, the LIF yield from vibrational excitation of species such as water and carbon dioxide should produce emission measures well in excess of ten billion photons/sec from samples volumes of order 1 c.c. These count rates can, in principle, yield detection limits into the sub-ppt range that are required for the in situ isotopic study of atmospheric trace gases. While promising, such technologies are relatively immature, but developing rapidly, and there are a great many uncertainties regarding their applicability to in situ IR-LIF planetary studies. We therefore feel PIDDP support will be critical to developing these new tools, and propose a three-year program to combine microchip near-IR lasers with low background detection axes and state-of-the-art HgCdTe detectors developed for astronomical spectroscopy to investigate the sensitivity of IR-LIF under realistic planetary conditions, to optimize the optical pumping and filtering schemes for important species, and to apply the spectrometer to the non-destructive measurement of stable isotopes in a variety of test samples. These studies form the necessary precursors to the development of compact, lightweight stable isotope/trace gas sensors for future planetary missions.

Blake, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS2020

An Evolutionary System of Mineralogy. Part I: Stellar Mineralogy (>13 to 4.6 Ga)

Minerals preserve records of the physical, chemical, and biological histories of their origins and subsequent alteration, and thus provide a vivid narrative of the evolution of Earth and other worlds through billions of years of cosmic history. Mineral properties, including trace and minor elements, ratios of isotopes, solid and fluid inclusions, external morphologies, and other idiosyncratic attributes, represent information that points to specific modes of formation and subsequent environmental histories—information essential to understanding the co-evolving geosphere and biosphere. This perspective suggests an opportunity to amplify the existing system of mineral classification, by which minerals are defined solely on idealized end-member chemical compositions and crystal structures. Here we present the first in a series of contributions to explore a complementary evolutionary system of mineralogy—a classification scheme that links mineral species to their paragenetic modes. The earliest stage of mineral evolution commenced with the appearance of the first crystals in the universe at >13 Ga and continues today in the expanding, cooling atmospheres of countless evolved stars, which host the high-temperature (T > 1000 K), low-pressure (P < 10-2 atm) condensation of refractory minerals and amorphous phases. Most stardust is thought to originate in three distinct processes in carbon- and/or oxygen-rich mineral-forming stars: (1) condensation in the cooling, expanding atmospheres of asymptotic giant branch stars; (2) during the catastrophic explosions of supernovae, most commonly core collapse (Type II) supernovae; and (3) classical novae explosions, the consequence of runaway fusion reactions at the surface of a binary white dwarf star. Each stellar environment imparts distinctive isotopic and trace element signatures to the micro- and nanoscale stardust grains that are recovered from meteorites and micrometeorites collected on Earth’s surface, by atmospheric sampling, and from asteroids and comets. Although our understanding of the diverse mineral-forming environments of stars is as yet incomplete, we present a preliminary catalog of 41 distinct natural kinds of stellar minerals, representing 22 official International Mineralogical Association (IMA) mineral species, as well as 2 as yet unapproved crystalline phases and 3 kinds of non-crystalline condensed phases not codified by the IMA.

Robert M. Hazen↗
NASA NTRS2005

Re-187 Os-187 Isotopic and Highly Siderophile Element Systematics of Group IVB Irons

Study of the magmatic iron meteorite groups permits constraints to be placed on the chemical and isotopic composition of parent bodies, and the timing of, and crystal-liquid fractionation processes involved in the crystallization of asteroidal cores. Here we examine Re-Os isotopic and trace elemental systematics of group IVB irons. Compared to most irons, the irons comprising this group are enriched in some of the most refractory siderophile elements, yet highly-depleted in most volatile siderophile elements. These characteristics have been attributed to processes such as high temperature condensation of precursor materials and oxidation in the parent body. Most recently it has been suggested that both processes may be involved in the chemical complexity of the group. Here, high precision isotopic and highly siderophile element (HSE) concentrations are used to further examine these possible origins, and the crystallization history of the group. In addition, we have begun to assess the possibility of relating certain ungrouped irons with major groups via multi-element, trace element modeling. In a companion abstract, the isotopic and trace element systematics of the ungrouped iron Tishomingo are compared with the IVB irons.

Honesto, J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Meteoritic Component in Impact Deposits

An important part of the history of impacts on Earth, and their influence on the terrestrial environment and biotic evolution, is the provenance of the impacting bolides. This will reflect the history of the large-body object flux in the inner solar system. The physical and chemical properties of projectiles, as well as their orbital evolution, has influenced the dynamics and the relative timing of impact events. Possible impact scenarios include random impacts by individual asteroids or comets, or clusters of impacts due to major collisions in the asteroid or Kuiper belts, or large perturbations of the Oort cloud of comets. Over the last several years, a combination of trace element, isotopic, and petrologic data have yielded significant insights into this impact history. The trace element chemistry of sediments, in particular the concentration of siderophiles (e.g., Ir), is a useful tool to detect impacts and provides supporting evidence for suspected impact deposits. However, siderophiles are not especially useful in distinguishing between types of projectiles. Interelement abundances of PGEs can distinguish a chondritic signature, but since most asteroids, and probably all comets are chondritic, these data do little to distinguish between chondritic source materials. Perhaps the most significant chemical argument used to constrain provenance, is that the total amount of Ir in the global Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) boundary ejecta layer is considerably less than that expected by a low-velocity, 10 km asteroid impact and is most consistent with the impact of a high-velocity, low-Ir comet. Alternatively, much of the Ir may have been buried in the Chicxulub crater and/or ejected to escape velocity.

Kyte, Frank T.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Re-187-Os-187, Pt-190-Os-186 Isotopic and Highly Siderophile Element Systematics of Group IVA Irons

We have recently completed Re-187-Os-187 and Pt-190-Os-186 isotopic and elemental studies of the two largest magmatic iron meteorite groups, IIAB and IIIAB [1]. These studies revealed closed-system behavior of both isotopic systems, but complex trace element behavior for Re, Pt and Os in group IIIAB. Here we examine isotopic and trace elemental systematics of group IVA irons. The IVA irons are not as extensively fractionated as IIAB and IIIAB and their apparently less complex crystallization history may make for more robust interpretation of the relative partitioning behavior of Re, Pt and Os, as well as the other highly siderophile elements (HSE) measured here; Pd, Ru and Ir [e.g. 2]. An additional goal of our continuing research plan for iron meteorites is to assess the possibility of relating certain ungrouped irons with major groups via trace element modeling. Here, the isotopic and trace element systematics of the ungrouped irons Nedagolla and EET 83230 are compared with the IVA irons.

Walker, R. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Effects of Experimentally Induced Zircon Annealing on Melt Inclusion-Zircon Geochemistry: A Case Study of Archean Zircon From the Barberton Complex

Crystalline melt inclusions (MIs) in Archean zircons can potentially constrain the evolution of magmatic processes. However, to obtain a homogeneous glassy MI representative of the parent melt, devitrified MIs must be heated at temperatures above the liquidus. Although, it is well known that radiation damaged domains in MI-host zircon undergo temperature-time dependent annealing, the effects of annealing on zircon stable isotope and trace element compositions has received less attention. In this study, we heated multiple aliquots of low-magnetism zircons with relatively low levels of radiation damage (Deff<9.6x1014 α-events/mg) from a 3.304 Ga tonalite gneiss xenolith from the Barberton greenstone belt (sample B87-18; Kamo and Davis, 1994) in an internally-heated pressure vessel at 0.4GPa and 1000–1200°C. Zircons were imaged by SEM (CL, BSE) to determine the zoning patterns around the MIs. The radiation damage preserved in the heated and unheated zircons was determined by measuring broadening of the 3(SiO4) Raman stretching band of zircon (FWHM). Oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O), OH/O ratios, and trace and rare earth element (TREE) concentrations were measured in the zircons and MIs using SIMS. The FWHM and Raman shift of the zircon 3(SiO4) band show a systematic increase of zircon crystallinity with increasing experimental temperature. Despite increasing crystallinity, the 3(SiO4) FWHM is not correlated with δ18O(Zrn) values in the heated or unheated zircons, suggesting that δ18O was not altered by laboratory heating in these low initial radiation damage zircons. FWHM and OH/O are positively correlated in both heated and unheated zircons. The unheated zircons have the largest FWHM and OH/O (OH/OMAX=3.5×10-4) suggesting that H2O was lost during experimental heating due to the progressive annealing of radiation-damaged domains in the zircons. Zircon TREE concentrations and FWHM values are not correlated despite the presence of TREE altered domains in both the heated and unheated zircons. Our results demonstrate that pre-experimental zircon TREE concentrations and δ18O(Zrn) remain intact during laboratory heating of crystalline MIs in zircon, while secondary H2O hosted in radiation damaged domains is partially lost. Thus, MIs in low initial radiation damage Archean zircon are a potentially viable tool for constraining melt compositions.

Joseph P. Gonzalez↗
NASA NTRS2015

Formation and Preservation of the Depleted and Enriched Shergottite Isotopic Reservoirs in a Convecting Martian Mantle

There is compelling isotopic and crater density evidence for geologically recent volcanism on Mars, in the last 100-200 million years and possibly in the last 50 million years. This volcanism is due to adiabatic decompression melting and thus requires some type of present-day convective upwelling in the martian mantle. On the other hand, martian meteorites preserve evidence for at least 3 distinct radiogenic isotopic reservoirs. Anomalies in short-lived isotopic systems (Sm-146, Nd-142, Hf-182, W-182) require that these reservoirs must have developed in the first 50 to 100 million years of Solar System history. The long-term preservation of chemically distinct reservoirs has sometimes been interpreted as evidence for the absence of mantle convection and convective mixing on Mars for most of martian history, a conclusion which is at odds with the evidence for young volcanism. This apparent paradox can be resolved by recognizing that a variety of processes, including both inefficient mantle mixing and geographic separation of isotopic reservoirs, may preserve isotopic heterogeneity on Mars in an actively convecting mantle. Here, we focus on the formation and preservation of the depleted and enriched isotopic and trace element reservoirs in the shergottites. In particular, we explore the possible roles of processes such as chemical diffusion and metasomatism in dikes and magma chambers for creating the isotopically enriched shergottites. We also consider processes that may preserve the enriched reservoir against convective mixing for most of martian history.

Kiefer, Walter S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Processes involved in the formation of magnesian-suite plutonic rocks from the highlands of the Earth's Moon

The earliest evolution of the Moon likely included the formation of a magma ocean and the subsequent development of anorthositic flotation cumulates. This primary anorthositic crust was then intruded by mafic magmas which crystallized to form the lunar highlands magnesian suite. The present study is a compilation of petrologic, mineral-chemical, and geochemical information on all pristine magnesian-suite plutonic rocks and the interpretation of this data in light of 18 'new' samples. Of these 18 clasts taken from Apollo 14 breccias, 12 are probably pristine and include four dunites, two norites, four troctolites, and two anorthosites. Radiogenic isotopic whole rock data also are reported for one of the 'probably pristine' anorthositic troctolites, sample 14303,347. The relatively low Rb content and high Sm and Nd abundances of 14303,347 suggest that this cumulate rock was derived from a parental magma which had these chemical characteristics. Trace element, isotopic, and mineral-chemical data are used to interpret the total highlands magnesian suite as crustal precipitates of a primitive KREEP (possessing a K-, rare earth element (REE)-, and P-enriched chemical signature) basalt magma. This KREEP basalt was created by the mixing of ascending ultramafic melts from the lunar interior with urKREEP (the late, K-, REE-, and P-enriched residuum of the lunar magma ocean). A few samples of the magnesian suite with extremely elevated large-ion lithophile elements (5-10x other magnesian-suite rocks) cannot be explained by this model or any other model of autometasomatism, equilibrium crystallization, or 'local melt-pocket equilibrium' without recourse to an extremely large-ion lithophile element-enriched parent liquid. It is difficult to generate parental liquids which are 2-4 x higher in the REE than average lunar KREEP, unless the liquids are the basic complement of a liquid-liquid pair, i.e., the so-called 'REEP-fraction,' from the silicate liquid immiscibility of urKREEP. Scarce age information on lunar rocks suggests that magnesian-suite magmatism was initiated at progressively more recent time from the northeast to the southwest on the lunar nearside from 4.45 to 4.25 Ga.

Snyder, Gregory A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Constraints on the development of the early continental crust from isotopic data

Aspects of the origin and development of the early (AE) continential crust are addressed by radiogenic isotope and trace element studies. The most important ones are: (1) at what time did the earliest continental crust form; (2) what was its composition; (3) by what processes did it grow and by what processes was it destroyed; (4) what were the rates of production and destruction as a function of time during this time period? Nd is isotopic data on the oldest terrestrial rocks indicate that the mantle at this time had already suffered substantial depletion in incompatible elements due to earlier continent forming events. Isotopic data on young volcanic rocks derived from the depleted mantle show no evidence of this early history. The observed isotopic patterns of Nd, Sr, Hf and Pb through time together with the presently observed age spectrum of crustal rocks are considered. These patterns can be modelled by a transport model in which the continental growth and destruction rates are allowed to vary as a function of time. It is suggest that the mass of the continents at 3.8 AE ago was about 25% of the current continental mass. However, due to the very high recycling rates obtained in the early Archean only a few percent of this crust has been preserved up to the present.

Jacobson, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS2014

New Martian Meteorite Is One of the Most Oxidized Found to Date

As of 2013, about 60 meteorites from the planet Mars have been found and are being studied. Each time a new Martian meteorite is found, a wealth of new information comes forward about the red planet. The most abundant type of Martian meteorite is a shergottite; its lithologies are broadly similar to those of Earth basalts and gabbros; i.e., crustal igneous rocks. The entire suite of shergottites is characterized by a range of trace element, isotopic ratio, and oxygen fugacity values that mainly reflect compositional variations of the Martian mantle from which these magmas came. A newly found shergottite, NWA 5298, was the focus of a study performed by scientists within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 2012. This sample was found in Morocco in 2008. Major element analyses were performed in the electron microprobe (EMP) laboratory of ARES at JSC, while the trace elements were measured at the University of Houston by laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). A detailed analysis of this stone revealed that this meteorite is a crystallized magma that comes from the enriched end of the shergottite spectrum; i.e., trace element enriched and oxidized. Its oxidation comes in part from its mantle source and from oxidation during the magma ascent. It represents a pristine magma that did not mix with any other magma or see crystal accumulation or crustal contamination on its way up to the Martian surface. NWA 5298 is therefore a direct, albeit evolved, melt from the Martian mantle and, for its lithology (basaltic shergottite), it represents the oxidized end of the shergottite suite. It is thus a unique sample that has provided an end-member composition for Martian magmas.

Hui, Hejiu↗
NASA NTRS2000

Molecular and Higher Precision Isotopic Measurements of the Mars Atmosphere and Subsurface Volatiles

In response to the question 'what to do next' at Mars we explore the value of a high precision in situ measurement of isotopic and trace gas constituents in the atmosphere combined with a similar analysis of gas extracted from near surface rocks and soils. The scientific goals are to advance our understanding of the evolution of the Martian atmosphere and to search for fossils of past geochemical conditions. One element of this program that ties directly to the goals of the Astrobiology Program will be a sensitive search for simple or complex organic molecules contained in the atmosphere and in the solid phase. The broad chemical and isotopic analysis planned insures that a highly successful program will be carried out even if no organics are detected. We will demonstrate that the technology to carry out this Program is presently in hand.

Mahaffy, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Magnesian anorthosites from the western highlands of the Moon: Isotope geochemistry and petrogenesis

Breccias from the Apollo 14 landing site have provided a wealth of information on the genesis of the lunar highlands. Various pristine rock-types have been discovered in relative abundance including rare ferroan anorthosites and alkali-suite and magnesian-suite rocks. Mineral-chemical and radiogenic isotopic data are reported here for a newly discovered Mg-suite anorthosite from Apollo 14, sample 14303,347. Meyer et al. reported U-Pb zircon analyses of Mg-suite highlands rocks from the western limb of the Moon. We have compiled these ages and generated a weighted average age of 4211 = 6 Ma; some 200 Ma younger than ferroan anorthosites. Utilizing this age for Mg-anorthosite 14303,347, our data results in an initial epsilon(sub Nd) value of -1.0 and initial Sr-87/Sr-86 of 0.69915. Based on trace-element, isotopic, and mineral-chemical data, the western highlands Mg-suite is interpreted to be crustal precipitates of a picritic magma, which assimilated KREEPy trapped liquid from upper-mantle cumulates during its transport to the crust.

Snyder, Gregory A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Not So Rare Earth? New Developments in Understanding the Origin of the Earth and Moon

A widely accepted model for the origin of the Earth and Moon has been a somewhat specific giant impact scenario involving an impactor to proto-Earth mass ratio of 3:7, occurring 50-60 Ma after T(sub 0), when the Earth was only half accreted, with the majority of Earth's water then accreted after the main stage of growth, perhaps from comets. There have been many changes to this specific scenario, due to advances in isotopic and trace element geochemistry, more detailed, improved, and realistic giant impact and terrestrial planet accretion modeling, and consideration of terrestrial water sources other than high D/H comets. The current scenario is that the Earth accreted faster and differentiated quickly, the Moon-forming impact could have been mid to late in the accretion process, and water may have been present during accretion. These new developments have broadened the range of conditions required to make an Earth-Moon system, and suggests there may be many new fruitful avenues of research. There are also some classic and unresolved problems such as the significance of the identical O isotopic composition of the Earth and Moon, the depletion of volatiles on the lunar mantle relative to Earth's, the relative contribution of the impactor and proto-Earth to the Moon's mass, and the timing of Earth's possible atmospheric loss relative to the giant impact.

Righter, Kevin↗
NASA NTRS1981

Isotopic and REE studies of lunar basalt 12038 - Implications for petrogenesis of aluminous mare basalts

Sr, Nd, and Sm isotopic studies of lunar basalt 12038, one of the so-called aluminous mare basalts, are reported. The evolution of the Sr and Nd isotopic compositions and the rare earth element (REE) abundances is successfully modeled within the framework of the model developed by Nyquist et al. (1977, 1979) for Apollo 12 olivine-pigeonite and ilmenite basalts. It is pointed out that the isotopic and trace element features of 12038 can by modeled as produced by partial melting of a cumulate mantle source which crystallized from a lunar magma ocean with a chondrite-normalized REE pattern of constant negative slope. Chondrite-normalized La/Yb is equal to 2.2 for this hypothetical magma ocean pattern.

Nyquist, L. E.↗