Helium and neon in comet 81P/Wild 2 samples from the NASA Stardust mission

Helium and neon distributions are reported for a variety of Stardust comet 81P/Wild 2 samples, including particle tracks and terminal particles, cell surface and subsurface slices from the comet coma and interstellar particle collection trays, and numerous small aerogel blocks extracted from comet cells C2044 and C2086. Discussions and conclusions in several abstracts published during the course of the investigation are included, along with the relevant data. Measured isotope ratios span a broad range, implying a similar range for noble gas carriers in the Wild 2 coma. The meteoritic phase Q‐²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratio was observed in several samples. Some of these, and others, exhibit ²¹Ne excesses too large for attribution to spallation by galactic cosmic ray irradiation, suggesting exposure to a solar proton flux greatly enhanced above current levels in an early near‐Sun environment. Still others display evidence for a solar wind component, particularly one C2086 block with large abundances of isotopically solar‐like helium and neon. Eighty‐nine small aerogel samples were cut from depths up to several millimeters below the cell C2044 surface and several millimeters away from the axis of major track T41. A fraction of these yielded measurable and variable helium and neon abundances and isotope ratios, although none contained visible tracks or carrier particle fragments and their locations were beyond estimated penetration ranges for small particles or ions incident on the cell surface, or for lateral ejecta from T41. Finding plausible emplacement mechanisms and sources for these gases is a significant challenge raised by this study.     

Microanalysis of nitrogen isotope abundances: association of nitrogen with noble gas carriers in Allende

Current research efforts to explore and account for the distribution of nitrogen isotope abundances in the ancient and present-day solar wind and in meteorites often require measurement of nitrogen abundances and isotopic compositions in very small samples of rare extraterrestrial materials. Isotopic analysis of ～ 1 μg of N₂ is possible with modern techniques of dynamic mass spectrometry, but even this high sensitivity is a limiting factor for certain critical samples. We have utilized a statistically operated mass spectrometer coupled to an ultrahigh vacuum gas extraction and processing system to lower this limit by approximately four orders of magnitude. Quantities of N₂ ranging from ～ 100 ng to < 100 pg are measurable with permil to percent precision in isotope ratios. Nitrogen and all noble gases evolved during stepwise combustion of fine-grained matrix material separated from the Allende meteorite have been meausred simultaneously in a pilot experiment using this technique. Isotopically heavy H-Xe (CCF-Xe) and isotopically light N are co-sited in a carbonaceous carrier phase, supporting a nucleosynthetic origin for¹⁵N-depleted nitrogen in Allende. The great isotopic uniformity of trapped Ar in all carrier phases indicates that simple, physical mass fractionation in gravitational escape of volatiles from the primitive nebula cannot have played a significant role in generating the nitrogen compositions observed in solar system matter.     

Seasonal and depth-dependent variations in the size and lipid contents of stage 5 copepodites of Calanus finmarchicus in the waters of the Newfoundland Shelf and the Labrador Sea

We report on the variation in energy reserves of individual C5 copepodites of Calanus finmarchicus from the Newfoundland continental shelf and the Labrador Sea collected from surface and overwintering (or bottom) depths prior to, during and after the expected timing of the onset of diapause. Overall, the trend was for a decreasing average prosome length as the year progressed for all locations although the decline was smallest in the Labrador Sea and greatest in the deep waters of the continental shelf. The size of the oil sac was closely linked to the weight of the copepodite but the form of this relationship showed substantial variations with depth and season. We show a clear increase in the relative oil sac volume for C. finmarchicus between late spring and late summer, by which time some animals had descended to diapause depths. The progressive decrease in oil sac volume of animals sampled at depth in the Labrador Sea between September and December suggests a significant loss of energy reserves during diapause. From the distribution of volumes and body sizes in December we estimate that 23–53% of individuals would not be able to meet the energetic cost of moulting and early gonad development. Overall, some of our observations appear to invalidate earlier hypotheses concerning the governing role of lipids in the life history of C. finmarchicus. However, assessment of the factors that influence entry into dormancy should be based on the relative probabilities of alternative strategies for successful reproduction (e.g. entering dormancy vs. continuing into a second generation).     

First Multi‐Isotopic (Pb‐Nd‐Sr‐Zn‐Cu‐Fe) Characterisation of Dust Reference Materials (ATD and BCR‐723): A Multi‐Column Chromatographic Method Optimised to Trace Mineral and Anthropogenic Dust Sources

Atmospheric dust is an integral component of the Earth system with major implications for the climate, biosphere and public health. In this context, identifying and quantifying the provenance and the processes generating the various types of dust found in the atmosphere is paramount. Isotopic signatures of Pb, Nd, Sr, Zn, Cu and Fe are commonly used as sensitive geochemical tracers. However, their combined use is limited by the lack of (a) a dedicated chromatographic protocol to separate the six elements of interest for low‐mass samples and (b) specific reference materials for dust. Indeed, our work shows that USGS rock reference materials BHVO‐2, AGV‐2 and G‐2 are not applicable as substitute reference materials for dust. We characterised the isotopic signatures of these six elements in dust reference materials ATD and BCR‐723, representatives of natural and urban environments, respectively. To achieve this, we developed a specific procedure for dust, applicable in the 4–25 mg mass range, to separate the six elements using a multi‐column ion‐exchange chromatographic method and MC‐ICP‐MS measurements.     

Reduction of Fe(III) colloids by Shewanella putrefaciens: A kinetic model

A kinetic model for the microbial reduction of Fe(III) oxyhydroxide colloids in the presence of excess electron donor is presented. The model assumes a two-step mechanism: (1) attachment of Fe(III) colloids to the cell surface and (2) reduction of Fe(III) centers at the surface of attached colloids. The validity of the model is tested using Shewanella putrefaciens and nanohematite as model dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria and Fe(III) colloidal particles, respectively. Attachment of nanohematite to the bacteria is formally described by a Langmuir isotherm. Initial iron reduction rates are shown to correlate linearly with the relative coverage of the cell surface by nanohematite particles, hence supporting a direct electron transfer from membrane-bound reductases to mineral particles attached to the cells. Using internally consistent parameter values for the maximum attachment capacity of Fe(III) colloids to the cells, M_max, the attachment constant, K_P, and the first-order Fe(III) reduction rate constant, k, the model reproduces the initial reduction rates of a variety of fine-grained Fe(III) oxyhydroxides by S. putrefaciens. The model explains the observed dependency of the apparent Fe(III) half-saturation constant, , on the solid to cell ratio, and it predicts that initial iron reduction rates exhibit saturation with respect to both the cell density and the abundance of the Fe(III) oxyhydroxide substrate.