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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Oxidation State of Nakhlites as inferred from Fe-Ti oxide Equilibria and Augite/Melt Europium Partitioning

Recent studies have shown that Martian magmas had wide range of oxygen fugacities (fO2) and that this variation is correlated with the variation of La/Yb ratio and isotopic characteristics of the Martian basalts, shergottite meteorites. The origin of this correlation must have important information about mantle sources and Martian evolution. In order to understand this correlation, it is necessary to know accurate value of oxidation state of other Martian meteorite groups. Nakhlites, cumulate clinopyroxenites, are another major group of Martian meteorites and have distinctly different trace element and isotopic characteristics from shergottites. Thus, estimates of oxidation state of nakhlites will give us important insight into the mantle source in general. Several workers have estimated oxidation state of nakhlites by using Fe-Ti oxide equilibrium. However, Fe-Ti oxides may not record the oxidation state of the parent melt of the nakhlite because it is a late-stage mineral. Furthermore, there is no comprehensive study which analyzed all nakhlite samples at the same time. Therefore, in this study (1) we reduced the uncertainty of the estimate using the same electron microprobe and the same standards under the same condition for Fe-Ti oxide in 6 nakhlites and (2) we also performed crystallization experiments to measure partition coefficients of Eu into pyroxene in the nakhlite system in order to estimate fO2 when the pyroxene core formed (i.e. Eu oxybarometer [e.g. 2,6]).

Makishima, J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Crystal Field Effects and Siderophile Element Partitioning: Implications for Mars HSE Geochemistry

Analyses of martian (SNC) meteorites indicate that Pt abundances do not vary much compared to other highly siderophile elements (HSE). Therefore, Jones et al. [1] inferred that D(Pt) during basalt petrogenesis was of order unity. This inference was at odds with previously published experiments that gave a D(sub ol/liq) for Pt of approx. 0.01 [2]. Because olivine is likely to be an important constituent of any reasonable martian mantle, the implication of these findings is that minor minerals must have D(Pt) much greater than 1, which seemed improbable. However, not only did the SNC evidence point to a D(sub ol/liq) approx. equal to 1, but so did plots of D(sub ol/liq) vs. ionic radius (Onuma diagram). The ionic radius of Pt(2+) suggested that D(sub ol/liq) for Pt was of order unity, in agreement with the inferences from SNC meteorites. New experiments have failed to detect measurable Pt in olivine, even at high oxygen fugacities [3]. Therefore, some other parameter, other than ionic charge and radius, must hold sway during olivine liquid partitioning of Pt.

Jones, John H.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Reactive Nitrogen Distribution and Partitioning in the North American Troposphere and Lowermost Stratosphere

A comprehensive group of reactive nitrogen species (NO, NOz, HN03, HOzN02, PANs, alkyl nitrates, and aerosol-NO3) were measured over North America during July/August 2004 from the NASA DC-8 platform (0.1 - 12 km). Nitrogen containing tracers of biomass combustion (HCN and CH3CN) were also measured along with a host of other gaseous (CO, VOC, OVOC, halocarbon) and aerosol tracers. Clean background air as well as air with influences from biogenic emissions, anthropogenic pollution, biomass combustion, convection, lightning, and the stratosphere was sampled over the continental United States, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. The North American upper troposphere (UT) was found to be greatly influenced by both lightning NO, and surface pollution lofted via convection and contained elevated concentrations of PAN, ozone, hydrocarbons, and NO,. Observational data suggest that lightning was a far greater contributor to NO, in the UT than previously believed. PAN provided a dominant reservoir of reactive nitrogen in the UT while nitric acid dominated in the lower troposphere (LT). Peroxynitric acid (H02N02) was present in sizable concentrations peaking at around 8 km. Aerosol nitrate appeared to be mostly contained in large soil based particles in the LT. Plumes from Alaskan fires contained large amounts of PAN and aerosol nitrate but little enhancement in ozone. A comparison of observed data with simulations from four 3-D models shows significant differences between observations and models as well as among models. We investigate the partitioning and interplay of the reactive nitrogen species within characteristic air masses and further examine their role in ozone formation.

Singh, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Effect of Metal Composition on Fe-Ni Partition Behavior between Olivine and FeNi-Metal, FeNi-Carbide, FeNi-Sulfide at Elevated Pressure

Metal-olivine Fe-Ni exchange distribution coefficients were determined at 1500 C over the pressure range of 1 to 9 GPa for solid and liquid alloy compositions. The metal alloy composition was varied with respect to the Fe/Ni ratio and the amount of dissolved carbon and sulfur. The Fe/Ni ratio of the metal phase exercises an important control on the abundance of Ni in the olivine. The Ni abundance in the olivine decreases as the Fe/Ni ratio of the coexisting metal increases. The presence of carbon (up to approx. 3.5 wt.%) and sulfur (up to approx. 7.5 wt.%) in solution in the liquid Fe-Ni-metal phase has a minor effect on the partitioning of Fe and Ni between metal and olivine phases. No pressure dependence of the Fe-Ni-metal-olivine exchange behavior in carbon- and sulfur-free and carbon- and sulfur-containing systems was found within the investigated pressure range. To match the Ni abundance in terrestrial mantle olivine, assuming an equilibrium metal-olivine distribution, a sub-chondritic Fe/Ni-metal ratio that is a factor of 17 to 27 lower than the Fe/Ni ratios in estimated Earth core compositions would be required, implying higher Fe concentrations in the core forming metal phase. A simple metal-olivine equilibrium distribution does not seem to be feasible to explain the Ni abundances in the Earth's mantle. An equilibrium between metal and olivine does not exercise a control on the problem of Ni overabundance in the Earth's mantle. The experimental results do not contradict the presence of a magma ocean at the time of terrestrial core formation, if olivine was present in only minor amounts at the time of metal segregation.

Holzheid, Astrid↗
NASA NTRS2007

Partitioning Evapotranspiration in Semiarid Grassland and Shrubland Ecosystems Using Diurnal Surface Temperature Variation

The encroachment of woody plants in grasslands across the Western U.S. will affect soil water availability by altering the contributions of evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) to total evapotranspiration (ET). To study this phenomenon, a network of flux stations is in place to measure ET in grass- and shrub-dominated ecosystems throughout the Western U.S. A method is described and tested here to partition the daily measurements of ET into E and T based on diurnal surface temperature variations of the soil and standard energy balance theory. The difference between the mid-afternoon and pre-dawn soil surface temperature, termed Apparent Thermal Inertia (I(sub A)), was used to identify days when E was negligible, and thus, ET=T. For other days, a three-step procedure based on energy balance equations was used to estimate Qe contributions of daily E and T to total daily ET. The method was tested at Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in southeast Arizona based on Bowen ratio estimates of ET and continuous measurements of surface temperature with an infrared thermometer (IRT) from 2004- 2005, and a second dataset of Bowen ratio, IRT and stem-flow gage measurements in 2003. Results showed that reasonable estimates of daily T were obtained for a multi-year period with ease of operation and minimal cost. With known season-long daily T, E and ET, it is possible to determine the soil water availability associated with grass- and shrub-dominated sites and better understand the hydrologic impact of regional woody plant encroachment.

Moran, M. Susan↗
NASA NTRS2005

Surveillance system and method having parameter estimation and operating mode partitioning

A system and method for monitoring an apparatus or process asset including creating a process model comprised of a plurality of process submodels each correlative to at least one training data subset partitioned from an unpartitioned training data set and each having an operating mode associated thereto; acquiring a set of observed signal data values from the asset; determining an operating mode of the asset for the set of observed signal data values; selecting a process submodel from the process model as a function of the determined operating mode of the asset; calculating a set of estimated signal data values from the selected process submodel for the determined operating mode; and determining asset status as a function of the calculated set of estimated signal data values for providing asset surveillance and/or control.

Bickford, Randall L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Surveillance system and method having parameter estimation and operating mode partitioning

A system and method for monitoring an apparatus or process asset including partitioning an unpartitioned training data set into a plurality of training data subsets each having an operating mode associated thereto; creating a process model comprised of a plurality of process submodels each trained as a function of at least one of the training data subsets; acquiring a current set of observed signal data values from the asset; determining an operating mode of the asset for the current set of observed signal data values; selecting a process submodel from the process model as a function of the determined operating mode of the asset; calculating a current set of estimated signal data values from the selected process submodel for the determined operating mode; and outputting the calculated current set of estimated signal data values for providing asset surveillance and/or control.

Bickford, Randall L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Reactive Nitrogen Distribution and Partitioning in the North American Troposphere and Lowermost Stratosphere

A comprehensive group of reactive nitrogen species (NO, NO2, HNO3, HO2NO2, PANs, alkyl nitrates, and aerosol-NO3) were measured in the troposphere and lowermost stratosphere over North America and the Atlantic during July/August 2004 (INTEX-A) from the NASA DC-8 platform (0.1-12 km). Less reactive nitrogen species (HCN and CH3CN), that are also unique tracers of biomass combustion, were also measured along with a host of other gaseous (CO, VOC, OVOC, halocarbon) and aerosol tracers. Clean background air as well as air with influences from biogenic emissions, anthropogenic pollution, biomass combustion, and stratosphere was sampled both over continental U. S., Atlantic and Pacific. The North American upper troposphere was found to be greatly influenced by both lightning NO(x) and surface pollution lofted via convection and contained elevated concentrations of PAN, ozone, hydrocarbons, and NO(x). Under polluted conditions PAN was a dominant carrier of reactive nitrogen in the upper troposphere while nitric acid dominated in the lower troposphere. Peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2) was present in sizable concentrations always peaking at around 8 km. Aerosol nitrate appeared to be mostly contained in large soil based particles in the lower troposphere. Plumes from Alaskan fires contained large amounts of PAN and very little enhancement in ozone. Observational data suggest that lightning was a far greater contributor to NO(x) in the upper troposphere than previously believed. NO(x) and NO(y) reservoir appeared to be in steady state only in the middle troposphere where NO(x)/NO(y) was independent of air mass age. A first comparison of observed data with simulations from four 3-D models shows significant differences between observations and models as well as among models. These uncertainties likely propagate themselves in satellites derived NOx data. Observed data are interpreted to suggest that soil sinks of HCN/CH3CN are at best very small. We investigate the partitioning and interplay of the reactive nitrogen species within characteristic air masses and further examine their role in ozone formation.

Singh, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Partitioning of Phosphorus and Molybdenum between the Earth's Mantle and Core and the Conditions of Core Formation

There are several hypotheses on the specific processes that might have occurred during the formation of the Earth. One hypothesis that has been proposed is that early in the Earth's formation, there was a magma ocean present, and within this body, siderophile elements separated out of the silicate liquid to form the metal core. This study addresses this hypothesis. P and Mo are moderately siderophile elements that are present in both the mantle and the core. The concentrations of P and Mo in silicate vs. metal can be measured and in turn used to determine the temperatures, pressures, oxygen fugacity and melt composition required to achieve the same concentrations as observed in the mantle. The data here include eight experiments examining the partitioning of P and Mo between metallic liquid and silicate liquid. The purpose of the experiments has been to gain a greater understanding of core-mantle separation during the Earth formation process and examines temperature effect on P and Mo, which has not been systematically studied before.

Acuff, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Oxygen Fugacity of the Upper Mantle of Mars. Evidence from the Partitioning Behavior of Vanadium in Y980459 (Y98) and other Olivine-Phyric Shergottites

Using partitioning behavior of V between olivine and basaltic liquid precisely calibrated for martian basalts, we determined the redox state of primitive (olivine-rich, high Mg#) martian basalts near their liquidus. The combination of oxidation state and incompatible element characteristics determined from early olivine indicates that correlations between fO2 and other geochemical characteristics observed in many martian basalts is also a fundamental characteristic of these primitive magmas. However, our data does not exhibit the range of fO2 observed in these previous studies.. We conclude that the fO2 for the martian upper mantle is approximately IW+1 and is incompatible-element depleted. It seems most likely (although clearly open to interpretation) that these mantle-derived magmas assimilated a more oxidizing (>IW+3), incompatible-element enriched, lower crustal component as they ponded at the base of the martian crust.

Shearer, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS2008

How Deep and Hot was Earth's Magma Ocean? Combined Experimental Datasets for the Metal-silicate Partitioning of 11 Siderophile Elements - Ni, Co, Mo, W, P, Mn, V, Cr, Ga, Cu and Pd

Since approximately 1990 high pressure and temperature (PT) experiments on metal-silicate systems have showed that partition coefficients (D) for siderophile (iron-loving) elements are much different than those measured at low PT conditions. The high PT data have been used to argue for a magma ocean during growth of the early Earth. Initial conclusions were based on experiments and calculations for a small number of elements such as Ni and Co. However, for many elements only a limited number of experimental data were available then, and they only hinted at values of metal-silicate D's at high PT conditions. In the ensuing decades there have been hundreds of new experiments carried out and published on a wide range of siderophile elements. At the same time several different models have been advanced to explain the siderophile elements in the earth's mantle: a) intermediate depth magma ocean; 25-30 GPa, b) deep magma ocean; up to 50 GPa, and c) early reduced and later oxidized magma ocean. Some studies have drawn conclusions based on a small subset of siderophile elements, or a set of elements that provides little leverage on the big picture (like slightly siderophile elements), and no single study has attempted to quantitatively explain more than 5 elements at a time. The purpose of this abstract is to update the predictive expressions outlined by Righter et al. (1997) with new experimental data from the last decade, test the predictive ability of these expressions against independent datasets (there are more data now to do this properly), and to apply the resulting expressions to the siderophile element patterns in Earth's upper mantle. The predictive expressions have the form: lnD = alnfO2 + b/T + cP/T + d(1Xs) + e(1Xc) + SigmafiXi + g These expressions are guided by the thermodynamics of simple metal-oxide equilibria that control each element, include terms that mimic the activity coefficients of each element in the metal and silicate, and quantify the effect of variable oxygen fugacity. Preliminary results confirm that D(Ni) and D(Co) converge at pressures near 25-30 GPa and approximately 2200 K, and show that D(Pd) and D(Cu) become too low at the PT conditions of the deepest models. Furthermore, models which force fit V and Cr mantle concentrations by metal-silicate equilibrium overlook the fact that at early Earth mantle fO2, these elements will be more compatible in Mg-perovskite and (Fe,Mg)O than in metal. Thus an intermediate depth magma ocean, at 25-30 GPa, 2200 K, and at IW-2, can explain more mantle siderophile element concentrations than other models.

Righter, Kevin↗
NASA NTRS2009

Constraining the Depth of a Martian Magma Ocean through Metal-Silicate Partitioning Experiments: The Role of Different Datasets and the Range of Pressure and Temperature Conditions

Mars accretion is known to be fast compared to Earth. Basaltic samples provide a probe into the interior and allow reconstruction of siderophile element contents of the mantle. These estimates can be used to estimate conditions of core formation, as for Earth. Although many assume that Mars went through a magma ocean stage, and possibly even complete melting, the siderophile element content of Mars mantle is consistent with relatively low pressure and temperature (PT) conditions, implying only shallow melting, near 7 GPa and 2073 K. This is a pressure range where some have proposed a change in siderophile element partitioning behavior. We will examine the databases used for parameterization and split them into a low and higher pressure regime to see if the methods used to reach this conclusion agree for the two sets of data.

Righter, K.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Benefits Assessment of the Interaction Between Traffic Flow Management Delay and Airspace Partitions in the Presence of Weather

The concept of re-partitioning the airspace into a new set of sectors for allocating capacity rather than delaying flights to comply with the capacity constraints of a static set of sectors is being explored. The reduction in delay, a benefit, achieved by this concept needs to be greater than the cost of controllers and equipment needed for the additional sectors. Therefore, tradeoff studies are needed for benefits assessment of this concept.

Palopo, Kee↗
NASA NTRS2004

Partitioning a Gridded Rectangle into Smaller Rectangles

A relatively simple algorithm, devised for use in an image-data-compression application, partitions a rectangular pixelated image (or any other rectangle on which a regular rectangular grid has already been superimposed) into a specified number of smaller rectangles, hereafter denoted segments. The algorithm has the following properties: No floating-point operations are needed. The segments tend to be nearly square (in the sense that their widths and heights in pixel units tend to be nearly equal). The segments tend to have nearly equal areas. The algorithm yields valid results (no zero-width or zero-height segments) as long as the specified number of segments, s, does not exceed the number of pixels (equivalently, the number of grid cells). The inputs to the algorithm are the positive integer s plus the positive integers h and w, denoting the height and width, respectively, of the rectangle in pixel units. The limit on s for a valid result is given by s less than or equal to wh.

Klimesh, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS2012

Pt, Au, Pd and Ru Partitioning Between Mineral and Silicate Melts: The Role of Metal Nanonuggets

The partition coefficients of Pt and other Pt Group Elements (PGE) between metal and silicate D(sub Metal-Silicate) and also between silicate minerals and silicate melts D(sub Metal-Silicate) are among the most challenging coefficients to obtain precisely. The PGE are highly siderophile elements (HSE) with D(sub Metal-Silicate) >10(exp 3) due to the fact that their concentrations in silicates are very low (ppb to ppt range). Therefore, the analytical difficulty is increased by the possible presence of HSE-rich-nuggets in reduced silicate melts during experiments). These tiny HSE nuggets complicate the interpretation of measured HSE concentrations. If the HSE micro-nuggets are just sample artifacts, then their contributions should be removed before calculations of the final concentration. On the other hand, if they are produced during the quench, then they should be included in the analysis. We still don't understand the mechanism of nugget formation well. Are they formed during the quench by precipitation from precursor species dissolved homogeneously in the melts, or are they precipitated in situ at high temperature due to oversaturation? As these elements are important tracers of early planetary processes such as core formation, it is important to take up this analytical and experimental challenge. In the case of the Earth for example, chondritic relative abundances of the HSE in some mantle xenoliths have led to the concept of the "late veneer" as a source of volatiles (such as water) and siderophiles in the silicate Earth. Silicate crystal/liquid fractionation is responsible for most, if not all, the HSE variation in the martian meteorite suites (SNC) and Pt is the element least affected by these fractionations. Therefore, in terms of reconstructing mantle HSE abundances for Mars, Pt becomes a very important player. In the present study, we have performed high temperature experiments under various redox conditions in order to determine the abundances of Pt, Au, Ru and Pd in minerals (olivine and diopside) and in silicate melts, but also to characterize the sizes, density and chemistry of HSE nuggets when present in the samples.

Malavergne, V.↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Effects of Oxygen Fugacity on the Crystallization Sequence and Cr Partitioning of an Analog Y-98 Liquid

Interpreting the relationship between "enriched" olivine-phyric shergottites (e.g. NWA 1068/1110) and the "enriched" pyroxene-plagioclase shergottites (e.g. Shergotty, Los Angeles) is problematic. Symes et al. [1] and Shearer et al. [2]) proposed that the basaltic magma that crystallized to produce olivine-phyric shergottite NWA 1068/1110 could produce pyroxene-plagioclase shergottites with additional fractional crystallization. However, additional observations indicate that the relationship among the enriched shergottites may be more complex [1-3]. For example, Herd [3] concluded that some portion of the olivine megacrysts in this meteorite was xenocrystic in origin, seemingly derived from more reduced basaltic liquids. This conclusion may imply that a variety of complex processes such as magma mixing, entrainment, and assimilation may play important roles in the petrologic history of these meteorites. It is therefore possible that these processes have obscured the petrogenetic linkages between the enriched olivine-phyric shergottites and the pyroxene-plagioclase shergottites. As a first order step in attempting to unravel these petrologic complexities, this study focuses upon exploring the effect of fO2 on the crystallization history for an analog primitive shergottite liquid composition (Y98). Results from this work will provide a basis for reconstructing the record of fO2 in shergottites, its effect on both mineral chemistries and valence state partitioning, and a means for examining the role of crystallization on the petrologic linkages between olivine-phyric and pyroxene-plagioclase shergottites. A companion abstract [4] explores the behavior of V over this range of fO2.

Bell, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Partitioned-Interval Quantum Optical Communications Receiver

The proposed quantum receiver in this innovation partitions each binary signal interval into two unequal segments: a short "pre-measurement" segment in the beginning of the symbol interval used to make an initial guess with better probability than 50/50 guessing, and a much longer segment used to make the high-sensitivity signal detection via field-cancellation and photon-counting detection. It was found that by assigning as little as 10% of the total signal energy to the pre-measurement segment, the initial 50/50 guess can be improved to about 70/30, using the best available measurements such as classical coherent or "optimized Kennedy" detection.

Vilnrotter, Victor A.↗