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DOE OSTI2026

Quantitative Infrared-to-Terahertz Nanospectroscopy of Semiconductors

Semiconductor technology now employs few-nanometer features, necessitating tools probing electronic properties on the same length scale. While the concentration of free charge carriers is routinely measured, the scattering rate remains challenging to access at the nanoscale. Here, we present ultrabroadband (5–50 THz) synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy as a quantitative metrology tool for semiconductors. This technique can determine both the charge carrier concentration and scattering rate with percent-level accuracy, and it is inherently capable of ∼10 nm spatial resolution. We study silicon with different doping levels and confirm the method’s accuracy by statistical analysis and comparison with established far-field infrared spectroscopy. Near-field measurements systematically reveal charge-carrier concentrations ∼30% lower than far-field values, consistent with increased surface sensitivity and surface depletion. Our work establishes synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy as a precise tool for quantitative nanoscale semiconductor characterization and paves the way toward all-optical characterization of surface depletion effects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Deep-learning-guided high-resolution subsurface reflectivity imaging with application to ground-penetrating radar data

Subsurface reflectivity imaging is one of the most important geophysical characterization methods for revealing subsurface structures. In many cases, accurate subsurface reflectivity imaging is challenging because of, for example, random or coherent noise in the data and sparse source-receiver observation geometry. Here, we develop a deep-learning-guided iterative imaging method to improve subsurface structure imaging. Specifically, we train a supervised neural network to infer a noise-free, high-resolution image from a noisy, low-resolution image and use this estimated image as guidance to regularize least-squares imaging. We develop a systematic method to generate high-quality synthetic training data (data-label pairs) to train the guidance neural network. The trained neural network can provide high-fidelity predictions even for field-data images that are not in the training data. We validate our new imaging method using one synthetic and two field ground-penetrating radar data examples, and find that our method can produce clean, high-resolution subsurface reflectivity images where existing single-pass and least-squares imaging methods fail due to noise and insufficient data coverage.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1981

The nature of the solar wind interaction with CO2/CO-dominated comets

The nature of the interaction of the solar wind with the ionospheres (field-free ion cavities) of comets with CO or CO2 as their dominant volatile species is considered and compared with the solar wind interaction with H2O-diominated comets. Calculations of the heliocentric variation of scale lengths defined as the nuclear distance at which the mean free path for ion-neutral collisions becomes equal to the nuclear distance, and the ion and neutral stand-off distances are presented for different modes of energy addition, nuclear radii and ionization time scales. Results indicate that whereas little activity can be expected from H2O-dominated comets at distances beyond 3 AU, COand CO2-dominated comets can be expected to be quite prolific at such distances. In contrast to H2O-dominated comets characterized by weak shocks, CO/CO2-dominated comet solar wind interactions are found to produce strong bow shocks within a specific heliocentric distance for the isothermal case of a CO-dominated comet, and a weak shock outside of this distance. In the general case, two types of cometary ionosphere transitions are found: a transition from strong to weak bow shock and from a compressible (soft) to an incompressible (hard) ionosphere, and a transition from a soft to a hard ionosphere with the bow shock remaining weak at a heliocentric distance dependant on atmospheric optical depth, bolometric albedo, nuclear radius, latent heat of sublimation of nuclear material, ionization time scale and type of heat addition. It is pointed out that the behavior of Comet Humason can be explained by solar wind interactions with a CO- or CO2-dominated comet.

Houpis, H. L. F.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of multi-regime reaction zones in a piloted inhomogeneous jet flame with local extinction

In this study, gradient free regime identification (GFRI) is applied to 1D Raman/Rayleigh/LIF measurements of temperature and major species from the intermediate velocity case of the Sydney piloted inhomogeneous jet flame series to better understand the structure of reaction zones and the downstream evolution of multi-regime characteristics. The GFRI approach allows local reaction zones to be detected and characterized as premixed, dominantly premixed, multi-regime, dominantly non-premixed, or non-premixed flame structures, based on flame markers (mixture fraction, chemical mode, and heat release rate) derived from the experimental data. The statistics of chemical mode zero-crossings, which mark premixed reaction zones, and the relative populations of flame structures are shown to be sensitive to the state of mixing in the near field of the flame and to the level of local extinction farther downstream. Multi-regime structures, where premixed and non-premixed reaction zones occur in close proximity and both contribute to overall heat release, account for nearly half the total population at streamwise locations within the first several jet diameters. There is a rapid transition within the near field whereby the relative population of non-premixed and dominantly non-premixed structures grows from 0.05 to nearly 0.5, and the population of premixed and dominantly premixed structures decreases correspondingly as fluid entering the reaction zone becomes progressively fuel-rich. Local extinction and re-ignition bring a resurgence in premixed-type structures, many of which occur at fuel-lean conditions. There are also modest populations of multi-regime structures, having chemical mode zero-crossings at lean conditions, which would not exist in a fully burning jet flame.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1989

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) detection of active oxygen species and organic phases in Martian soils

The presence of active oxygen species (O(-), O2(-), O3(-)) and other strong oxidants (Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) was invoked in interpretations of the Viking biological experiments and a model was also suggested for Martian surface chemistry. The non-biological interpretations of the biological results gain futher support as no organic compounds were detected in the Viking pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCSM) experiments at concentrations as low as 10 ppb. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measures the absorption of microwaves by a paramagnetic and/or ferromagnetic center in the presence of an external field. In many instances, ESR has the advantage of detailed submicroscopic identification of the transient species and/or unstable reaction intermediates in their environments. Since the higly active oxygen species (O(-), O2(-), O3(-), and R-O-O(-)) are all paramagnetic in nature, they can be readily detected in native form by the ESR method. Active oxygen species likely to occur in the Martian surface samples were detected by ESR in UV-irradiated samples containing MgO. A miniaturized ESR spectrometer system can be developed for the Mars Rover Sample Return Mission. The instrument can perform the following in situ Martian samples analyses: detection of active oxygen species; characterization of Martian surface chemistry and photooxidation processes; and searching for organic compounds in the form of free radicals preserved in subsoils, and detection of microfossils with Martian carbonate sediments.

Tsay, Fun-Dow↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Charge Deposition/Neutralization and Dust Removal via Plasma Interactions

Electrically charged and chemically reactive lunar dust can cause serious problems to spacecraft, surface equipment, and astronaut health, so understanding its interaction with and transport through the lunar plasma environment is important to dust mitigation efforts. We explore the charging of granular material in the natural environment of the Moon, recreate those conditions in the laboratory under high vacuum, and examine dust transport and charge neutralization for application in future lunar missions. Phenomena such as charge deposition via electron and ion beams, photoionization through ultraviolet light exposure, neutralization of charge through impingement by an ionized compressed gas, and tribocharging during dust liberation from surfaces will be presented. Surface materials of interest such as floating/grounded conductors and orthofabric for spacesuits are the preliminary focus of this effort. An electrometer is used to characterize currents interacting with the surfaces in the case of the electron/ion/UV source exposure, an electrostatic voltmeter is used to measure the potential on the surfaces without inadvertently discharging them, and a charge plate monitor is used to verify the efficiency of discharging the surfaces via ionized gas impingement. After setup of the initial charge conditions on the surfaces, a quick burst of high-pressure gas is used to overcome adhesion forces and initially dislodge the dust from the surfaces, followed by a low flow of gas that is ionized via application of a strong electric field. The gas is released in a high vacuum environment so as the pressure drops from the initial compressed state through to the vacuum state, the mean free path reaches a point where ionization can occur before all the gas disperses into the vacuum. This ionized gas can then neutralize both the dust and the surface to ensure minimal resettling. Several parameters such as gas composition, electrode geometry, high voltage waveform shape/polarity, and pulse timing have been explored and will be presented here.

electrostatics↗

DOE OSTI2020

Thallium Bromide Semiconductor Radiation Materials and Detectors Characterization Studies

Two overarching requirements of crucial importance for the commercial and scientific establishment of semiconductor radiation detectors are: (1) exceptionally high-purity crystals with impurity concentrations less than 1 part-per-billion and (2) single crystals that are relatively free from subgrain boundaries, secondary phases, dislocations, and other electrically-active defects. We investigated the properties of thallium bromide (TlBr) material that affect its performance with the goal of increasing the material's commercial viability for radiation detection applications. For this purpose, we used beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), performing Micron-scale X-ray Detector Mapping, White Beam X-ray Diffraction Topography, and Micron-scale X-ray Fluorescence. These characterization methods improve the industry's understanding of TlBr and lead to the production of improved instrumentation. In this particular study we report electro-migration measurements of positive-ion Cu, Ag, and Au impurities in TlBr detectors under electric field strengths typically used for device operation. BNL improved TlBr detectors with an electrode design that corrects the response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects. This design can achieve improved energy resolution while using typical-grade, commercial crystals with relaxed quality requirements, thus reducing the overall cost of detectors. Additional characterization will be necessary to fully understand the structure and performance of TlBr with the ultimate goal to achieve the highest energy resolution. Our findings from past work will be presented along with our recommendations for additional investigation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Evidence for a 5d F-theorem

Renormalization group flows are studied between 5d SCFTs engineered by (p, q) 5-brane webs with large numbers of external 5-branes. A general expression for the free energy on S5 in terms of single-valued trilogarithm functions is derived from their supergravity duals, which are characterized by the 5-brane charges and additional geometric parameters. The additional geometric parameters are fixed by regularity conditions, and we show that the solutions to the regularity conditions extremize a trial free energy. These results are used to survey a large sample of O(10 5 ) renormalization group flows between different 5d SCFTs, including Higgs branch flows and flows that preserve the SU(2) R- symmetry. In all cases the free energy changes monotonically towards the infrared, in line with a 5d F -theorem.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2020

Chemical Bonding Governs Complex Magnetism in MnPt 5 P

Subtle changes in chemical bonds may result in dramatic revolutions in magnetic properties in solid-state materials. MnPt 5 P, a derivative of the rare-earth-free ferromagnetic MnPt 5 As, was discovered and is presented in this work. Specifically, MnPt 5 P was synthesized, and its crystal structure and chemical composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction as well as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Accordingly, MnPt 5 P crystallizes in the layered tetragonal structure with the space group P4/mmm (No. 123), in which the face-shared Mn@Pt 12 polyhedral layers are separated by P layers. In contrast to the ferromagnetism observed in MnPt 5 As, the magnetic properties measurements on MnPt 5 P show antiferromagnetic ordering occurs at ~188 K with a strong magnetic anisotropy in and out of the ab-plane. Moreover, a spin-flop transition appears when a high magnetic field is applied. An A-type antiferromagnetic structure was obtained from the analysis of powder neutron diffraction (PND) patterns collected at 150 and 9 K. Calculated electronic structures imply that hybridization of Mn-3d and Pt-5d orbitals is critical for both the structural stability and observed magnetic properties. Semiempirical molecular orbitals calculations on both MnPt 5 P and MnPt 5 As indicate that the lack of 4p character on the P atoms at the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) in MnPt 5 P may cause the different magnetic behavior in MnPt 5 P compared to MnPt 5 As. The discovery of MnPt 5 P, along with our previously reported MnPt5As, parametrizes the end points of a tunable system to study the chemical bonding which tunes the magnetic ordering from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism with the strong spin–orbit coupling (SOC) effect.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Burning conditions and transportation pathways determine biomass-burning aerosol properties in the Ascension Island marine boundary layer

Abstract. African biomass-burning aerosol (BBA) in the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA) marine boundary layer (MBL) is an important contributor to Earth's radiation budget, yet its representation remains poorly constrained in regional and global climate models. Data from the Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) field campaign on Ascension Island (7.95° S, 14.36° W) provide insight into how burning conditions, fuel type, transport pathways, and atmospheric processing affect the chemical, microphysical, and optical properties of BBA between June and September 2017. A total of 10 individual plume events characterize the seasonal evolution of the BBA properties. Early-season inefficient fires, determined by low refractory black carbon to above-background carbon monoxide mixing ratios (rBC : ΔCO), led to enhanced concentrations of organic- and sulfate-rich aerosols. Mid-season efficient fires, determined by higher rBC : ΔCO values, led to rBC-enriched BBA. A mix of efficient and inefficient fires later in the season resulted in conflicting BBA properties. Prolonged transport (∼ 10 d) through the MBL and lower free troposphere (FT) facilitated chemical and aqueous-phase processing, which led to a reduction in organic aerosol mass concentrations. This resulted in lower organic aerosol (OA) to rBC (OA : rBC) mass ratios (2–5) in the MBL compared to higher values (5–15) in the nearby FT. These atmospheric and cloud oxidation processes yield more light-absorbing BBA and explain the notably low single-scattering albedo at 530 nm (SSA530) values (< 0.80) observed in the MBL. This study establishes a robust correlation between SSA530 and OA : rBC across the MBL and FT, underscoring the dependency of optical properties on chemical composition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS2007

Experimental Measurements of Two-dimensional Planar Propagating Edge Flames

The study of edge flames has received increased attention in recent years. This work reports the results of a recent study into two-dimensional, planar, propagating edge flames that are remote from solid surfaces (called here, free-layer flames, as opposed to layered flames along floors or ceilings). They represent an ideal case of a flame propagating down a flammable plume, or through a flammable layer in microgravity. The results were generated using a new apparatus in which a thin stream of gaseous fuel is injected into a low-speed laminar wind tunnel thereby forming a flammable layer along the centerline. An airfoil-shaped fuel dispenser downstream of the duct inlet issues ethane from a slot in the trailing edge. The air and ethane mix due to mass diffusion while flowing up towards the duct exit, forming a flammable layer with a steep lateral fuel concentration gradient and smaller axial fuel concentration gradient. We characterized the flow and fuel concentration fields in the duct using hot wire anemometer scans, flow visualization using smoke traces, and non-reacting, numerical modeling using COSMOSFloWorks. In the experiment, a hot wire near the exit ignites the ethane air layer, with the flame propagating downwards towards the fuel source. Reported here are tests with the air inlet velocity of 25 cm/s and ethane flows of 967-1299 sccm, which gave conditions ranging from lean to rich along the centerline. In these conditions the flame spreads at a constant rate faster than the laminar burning rate for a premixed ethane air mixture. The flame spread rate increases with increasing transverse fuel gradient (obtained by increasing the fuel flow rate), but appears to reach a maximum. The flow field shows little effect due to the flame approach near the igniter, but shows significant effect, including flow reversal, well ahead of the flame as it approaches the airfoil fuel source.

Villa-Gonzalez, Marcos↗

NASA NTRS1999

Production and Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanotube-Based Composites

The Nobel Prize winning discovery of the Buckuball (C60) in 1985 at Rice University by a group including Dr. Richard Smalley led to the whole new class of carbon allotropes including fullerenes and nanotubes. Especially interesting from many viewpoints are single-walled carbon nanotubes, which structurally are like a single graphitic sheet wrapped around a cylinder and capped at the ends. This cylinders have diameter as small as 0.5 - 2 nm (1/100,000th the diameter of a human hair) and are as long as 0.1 - 1 mm. Nanotubes are really individual molecules and believed to be defect-free, leading to high tensile strength despite their low density. Additionally, these fibers exhibit electrical conductivity as high as copper, thermal conductivity as high as diamond, strength 100 times higher than steel at one-sixth the weight, and high strain to failure. Thus it is believed that developments in the field of nanotechnology will lead to stronger and lighter composite materials for next generation spacecraft. Lack of a bulk method of production is the primary reason nanotubes are not used widely today. Toward this goal JSC nanotube team is exploring three distinct production techniques: laser ablation, arc discharge and chemical vapor deposition (CVD, in collaboration with Rice University). In laser ablation technique high-power laser impinges on the piece of carbon containing small amount of catalyst, and nanotubes self-assemble from the resulting carbon vapor. In arc generator similar vapor is created in arc discharge between carbon electrodes with catalyst. In CVD method nanotubes grow at much lower temperature on small catalyst particles from carbon-containing feedstock gas (methane or carbon monoxide). As of now, laser ablation produces cleanest material, but mass yield is rather small. Arc discharge produces grams of material, but purity is low. CVD technique is still in baby steps, but preliminary results look promising, as well as perspective of scaling the process up. We are also working on necessary purification of nanotubes. Applications of nanotubes are in such various fields as lightweight composites, molecular electronics, energy storage (electrodes in Li ion batteries), flat panel displays, conductive polymers, etc. JSC nanotube team is focused on development of lightweight materials. We work on the injection thermoset epoxies reinforced with nanotubes. Early results show good wetting of nanotube surface with epoxy, which is very important. More research will be possible as more nanotubes become available.

Nikolaev, Pavel↗

DOE OSTI2023

Synchronizing the consistency relation

We study the N-point function of the density contrast to quadratic order in the squeezed limit during the matter-dominated (MD) and radiation-dominated (RD) eras in synchronous gauge. Since synchronous gauge follows the free-fall frame of observers, the equivalence principle dictates that in the gradient approximation for the long-wavelength mode there is only a single, manifestly time-independent consistency relation for the N-point function. This simple form is dictated by the initial mapping between synchronous and local coordinates, unlike Newtonian gauge and its correspondingly separate dilation and Newtonian consistency relations. Dynamical effects only appear at quadratic order in the squeezed limit and are again characterized by a change in the local background, also known as the separate universe approach. We show that for the 3-point function the compatibility between these squeezed-limit relations and second-order perturbation theory requires both the initial and dynamical contributions to match, as they do in single-field inflation. This clarifies the role of evolution or late-time projection effects in establishing the consistency relation for observable bispectra, which is especially important for radiation acoustic oscillations and for establishing consistency below the matter-radiation equality scale in the MD era. Defining an appropriate angle and time average of these oscillations is also important for making separate universe predictions of spatially varying local observables during the RD era, which can be useful for a wider range of cosmological predictions beyond N-point functions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Imaging and spatially resolved mass spectrometry applications in nephrology

The application of spatially resolved mass spectrometry (MS) and MS imaging approaches for studying biomolecular processes in the kidney is rapidly growing. These powerful methods, which enable label-free and multiplexed detection of many molecular classes across omics domains (including metabolites, drugs, proteins and protein post-translational modifications), are beginning to reveal new molecular insights related to kidney health and disease. Further, the complexity of the kidney often necessitates multiple scales of analysis for interrogating biofluids, whole organs, functional tissue units, single cells and subcellular compartments. Various MS methods can generate omics data across these spatial domains and facilitate both basic science and pathological assessment of the kidney. Optimal processes related to sample preparation and handling for different MS applications are rapidly evolving. Emerging technology and methods, improvement of spatial resolution, broader molecular characterization, multimodal and multiomics approaches and the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches promise to make these applications even more valuable in the field of nephology. Overall, spatially resolved MS and MS imaging methods have the potential to fill much of the omics gap in systems biology analysis of the kidney and provide functional outputs that cannot be obtained using genomics and transcriptomic methods.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Failure Analysis of a New Polyamide-Based Fluoropolymer-Free Backsheet After Combined-Accelerated Stress Testing

The viability of novel coextruded, fluoropolymer-free backsheets for photovoltaic (PV) modules has been questioned as a result of a large number of early-life backsheet failures in PV installations containing one of the earliest co-extruded polyamide (PA)-based backsheet to reach the market, “AAA.” New PV reliability testing protocols have been recently developed and applied to backsheets to reproduce failures observed in the field and evaluate the durability of novel backsheet materials and designs prior to commercialization. A new co-extruded PA-based backsheet was tested using combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) and demonstrated a greater lifetime than AAA, and some other fluoropolymer-based backsheets such as polyvinylidene fluoride. The improved PA-based backsheet also eventually failed by through-thickness cracking. Using surface and bulk material characterization techniques, we performed a comprehensive study of material properties before and after the stress testing. Aging of the backsheet resulted in an increase of surface roughness by erosion of the outer PA layer. However the failure is more likely related to an increase in crystallinity of the polyolefin core layer reducing the backsheet tearing energy. The analysis can ultimately inform on the specific weaknesses of the materials so that the manufacturer can improve the backsheet design to extend its lifetime.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2009

Constructing LDPC Codes from Loop-Free Encoding Modules

A method of constructing certain low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes by use of relatively simple loop-free coding modules has been developed. The subclasses of LDPC codes to which the method applies includes accumulate-repeat-accumulate (ARA) codes, accumulate-repeat-check-accumulate codes, and the codes described in Accumulate-Repeat-Accumulate-Accumulate Codes (NPO-41305), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 9 (September 2007), page 90. All of the affected codes can be characterized as serial/parallel (hybrid) concatenations of such relatively simple modules as accumulators, repetition codes, differentiators, and punctured single-parity check codes. These are error-correcting codes suitable for use in a variety of wireless data-communication systems that include noisy channels. These codes can also be characterized as hybrid turbolike codes that have projected graph or protograph representations (for example see figure); these characteristics make it possible to design high-speed iterative decoders that utilize belief-propagation algorithms. The present method comprises two related submethods for constructing LDPC codes from simple loop-free modules with circulant permutations. The first submethod is an iterative encoding method based on the erasure-decoding algorithm. The computations required by this method are well organized because they involve a parity-check matrix having a block-circulant structure. The second submethod involves the use of block-circulant generator matrices. The encoders of this method are very similar to those of recursive convolutional codes. Some encoders according to this second submethod have been implemented in a small field-programmable gate array that operates at a speed of 100 megasymbols per second. By use of density evolution (a computational- simulation technique for analyzing performances of LDPC codes), it has been shown through some examples that as the block size goes to infinity, low iterative decoding thresholds close to channel capacity limits can be achieved for the codes of the type in question having low maximum variable node degrees. The decoding thresholds in these examples are lower than those of the best-known unstructured irregular LDPC codes constrained to have the same maximum node degrees. Furthermore, the present method enables the construction of codes of any desired rate with thresholds that stay uniformly close to their respective channel capacity thresholds.

Divsalar, Dariush↗

DOE OSTI2025

A hybrid neural architecture: Online attosecond x-ray characterization

The emergence of high-repetition-rate x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), such as SLAC’s LCLS-II, serves as our canonical example for autonomous controls that necessitate high-throughput diagnostics paired with streaming computational pipelines capable of single-shot analysis with extremely low latency. We present the deterministic characterization with an integrated parallelizable hybrid resolver architecture, a hybrid machine learning framework designed for fast, accurate analysis of XFEL diagnostics using angular streaking-based sinogram images. This architecture integrates convolutional neural networks and bidirectional long short-term memory models to denoise input, identify x-ray sub-spike features, and extract sub-spike relative delays with sub-30 attosecond temporal resolution. Deployed on low-latency hardware, it achieves over 10 kHz throughput with 168.3 μs inference latency, indicating scalability to 14 kHz with field-programmable gate array integration. By transforming regression tasks into classification problems and leveraging optimized error encoding, we achieve high precision with low-latency performance that is critical for real-time streaming event selection and experimental control feedback signals. This represents a key development in real-time control pipelines for next-generation autonomous science, generally, and high repetition-rate x-ray experiments in particular.

Accelerator Physics (physics.acc-ph)↗

NASA NTRS1997

Breccia Formation at a Complex Impact Crater: Slate Islands, Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada

The Slate Islands impact structure is the eroded remnant of a approximately 30-32 km-diameter complex impact structure located in northern Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada. Target rocks are Archean supracrustal and igneous rocks and Proterozoic metavolcanics, metasediments, and diabase. A wide variety of breccias occurs on the islands, many of which contain fragments exhibiting shock metamorphic features. Aphanitic, narrow and inclusion-poor pseudotachylite veins, commonly with more or less parallel boundaries and apophyses branching off them, represent the earliest breccias formed during the compression stage of the impact process. Coarse-grained, polymictic elastic matrix breccias form small to very large, inclusion-rich dikes and irregularly shaped bodies that may contain altered glass fragments. These breccias have sharp contacts with their host rocks and include a wide range of fragment types some of which were transported over minimum distances of approximately 2 km away from the center of the structure. They cut across pseudotachylite veins and contain inclusions of them. Field and petrographic evidence indicate that these polymictic breccias formed predominantly during the excavation and central uplift stages of the impact process. Monomictic breccias, characterized by angular fragments and transitional contacts with their host rocks, occur in parautochthonous target rocks, mainly on the outlying islands of the Slate Islands archipelago. A few contain fragmented and disrupted, coarse-grained, polymictic clastic matrix breccia dikes. This is an indication that at least some of these monomictic breccias formed late in the impact process and that they are probably related to a late crater modification stage. A small number of relatively large occurrences of glass-poor, suevitic breccias occur at the flanks of the central uplift and along the inner flank of the outer ring of the Slate Islands complex crater. A coarse, glass-free, allogenic breccia, containing shatter-coned fragments derived from Proterozoic target rocks (upper target strata), observed at two locations may be analogous to the 'Bunt Breccia' of the Ries crater in Germany. At one of these locations this breccia lies close to a crater suevite deposit. At the other, it overlies parautochthonous, monomictic breccia. The State Islands impact breccias are superbly exposed, much better than breccias in most other terrestrial impact structures. Observations, including those indicative of multiple and and sequential processes, provide insight on how impact breccias form and how they relate to the various phases of the impact process. Eventually they will lead to an improved understanding of planetary impact processes.

Dressler, B. O.↗