Seismic evidence for an inner core transition zone

Seismic waves that traverse Earth's inner core along north-south paths produce unusually broad pulse shapes at long periods (compared with waves along east-west paths) and reflections from below the inner core boundary at short periods. The observations provide compelling evidence for a seismic velocity discontinuity along north-south paths about 200 kilometers below the inner core boundary separating an isotropic upper inner core from an anisotropic lower inner core. The triplication associated with such a structure might be responsible for reported waveform complexity of short-period inner core arrivals along north-south paths and, if the depth of the boundary is laterally variable, their large travel-time variation.     

An observation of PKJKP: inferences on inner core shear properties

The seismic phase PKJKP, which traverses the inner core as a shear wave and would provide direct evidence for its solidity, has been difficult to detect. Using stacked broadband records from the Grafenberg array in Germany, we documented a high signal-to-noise phase, the arrival time and slowness of which agree with theoretical predictions for PKJKP. The back azimuth of this arrival is also consistent with predictions for PKJKP, as is the comparison with a pseudoliquid inner core model. Envelope modeling of the PKJKP waveform implies a shear velocity gradient with depth in the inner core that is slightly larger than that in the preliminary reference Earth model.     

The structure of iron in Earth's inner core

Earth's solid inner core is mainly composed of iron (Fe). Because the relevant ultrahigh pressure and temperature conditions are difficult to produce experimentally, the preferred crystal structure of Fe at the inner core remains uncertain. Static compression experiments showed that the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure of Fe is stable up to 377 gigapascals and 5700 kelvin, corresponding to inner core conditions. The observed weak temperature dependence of the c/a axial ratio suggests that hcp Fe is elastically anisotropic at core temperatures. Preferred orientation of the hcp phase may explain previously observed inner core seismic anisotropy.     

Robust normal mode constraints on inner-core anisotropy from model space search

A technique for searching full model space that was applied to measurements of anomalously split normal modes showed a robust pattern of P-wave and S-wave anisotropy in the inner core. The parameter describing P-wave anisotropy changes sign around a radius of 400 kilometers, whereas S-wave anisotropy is small in the upper two-thirds of the inner core and becomes negative at greater depths. Our results agree with observed travel-time anomalies of rays traveling at epicentral distances varying from 150 degrees to 180 degrees. The models may be explained by progressively tilted hexagonal close-packed iron in the upper half of the inner core and could suggest a different iron phase in the center.     

Planet Within a Planet: Rotation of the Inner Core of Earth

The time dependence of the orientation of Earth's inner core relative to the mantle was determined using a recently discovered 10-degree tilt in the axis of symmetry of the inner core's seismic-velocity anisotropy. Two methods of analyzing travel-time variations for rays traversing the inner core, on the basis of 29 years of data from the International Seismological Centre (1964-1992), reveal that the inner core appears to rotate about 3 degrees per year faster than the mantle. An anomalous variation in inner-core orientation from 1969 to 1973 coincides in time with a sudden change ("jerk") in the geomagnetic field.     

Temperatures in Earth's Core Based on Melting and Phase Transformation Experiments on Iron

Experiments on melting and phase transformations on iron in a laser-heated, diamond-anvil cell to a pressure of 150 gigapascals (approximately 1.5 million atmospheres) show that iron melts at the central core pressure of 363.85 gigapascals at 6350 +/- 350 kelvin. The central core temperature corresponding to the upper temperature of iron melting is 6150 kelvin. The pressure dependence of iron melting temperature is such that a simple model can be used to explain the inner solid core and the outer liquid core. The inner core is nearly isothermal (6150 kelvin at the center to 6130 kelvin at the inner core-outer core boundary), is made of hexagonal closest-packed iron, and is about 1 percent solid (MgSiO(3) + MgO). By the inclusion of less than 2 percent of solid impurities with iron, the outer core densities along a thermal gradient (6130 kelvin at the base of the outer core and 4000 kelvin at the top) can be matched with the average seismic densities of the core.     

Magnetic properties of hexagonal closed-packed iron deduced from direct observations in a diamond anvil cell

The attraction of hexagonal closed packed (hcp) iron to a magnet at 16.9 gigapascals and 261 degrees centigrade suggests that hcp iron is either paramagnetic or ferromagnetic with susceptibilities from 0. 15 to 0.001 and magnetizations from 1800 to 15 amperes per meter. If dominant in Earth's inner core, paramagnetic hcp iron could stabilize the geodynamo.     

Localized temporal change of the Earth's inner core boundary

Compressional waves of an earthquake doublet (two events occurring in the South Sandwich Islands on 1 December 1993 and 6 September 2003), recorded at three seismic stations in Russia and Kyrgyzstan and reflected off Earth's inner core boundary, arrived at least from 39 to 70 milliseconds earlier in the 2003 event than in the 1993 event. Such changes indicate that Earth's inner core radius enlarged locally beneath middle Africa by 0.98 to 1.75 kilometers between the times of these two events. Changes of the inner core radius may be explained by either a differential motion of the inner core, assuming that irregularities are present at the inner core boundary and fixed to the inner core, or a rapid growth of the inner core by this amount.     

Elastic anisotropy of Earth's inner core

Earth's solid-iron inner core is elastically anisotropic. Sound waves propagate faster along Earth's spin axis than in the equatorial plane. This anisotropy has previously been explained by a preferred orientation of the iron alloy hexagonal crystals. However, hexagonal iron becomes increasingly isotropic on increasing temperature at pressures of the inner core and is therefore unlikely to cause the anisotropy. An alternative explanation, supported by diamond anvil cell experiments, is that iron adopts a body-centered cubic form in the inner core. We show, by molecular dynamics simulations, that the body-centered cubic iron phase is extremely anisotropic to sound waves despite its high symmetry. Direct simulations of seismic wave propagation reveal an anisotropy of 12%, a value adequate to explain the anisotropy of the inner core.     

Origin of the low rigidity of the Earth's inner core

Earth's solid-iron inner core has a low rigidity that manifests itself in the anomalously low velocities of shear waves as compared to shear wave velocities measured in iron alloys. Normally, when estimating the elastic properties of a polycrystal, one calculates an average over different orientations of a single crystal. This approach does not take into account the grain boundaries and defects that are likely to be abundant at high temperatures relevant for the inner core conditions. By using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that, if defects are considered, the calculated shear modulus and shear wave velocity decrease dramatically as compared to those estimates obtained from the averaged single-crystal values. Thus, the low shear wave velocity in the inner core is explained.     

Variable azimuthal anisotropy in Earth's lowermost mantle

A persistent reversal in the expected polarity of the initiation of vertically polarized shear waves that graze the D' layer (the layer at the boundary between the outer core and the lower mantle of Earth) in some regions starts at the arrival time of horizontally polarized shear waves. Full waveform modeling of the split shear waves for paths beneath the Caribbean requires azimuthal anisotropy at the base of the mantle. Models with laterally coherent patterns of transverse isotropy with the hexagonal symmetry axis of the mineral phases tilted from the vertical by as much as 20 degrees are consistent with the data. Small-scale convection cells within the mantle above the D' layer may cause the observed variations by inducing laterally variable crystallographic or shape-preferred orientation in minerals in the D' layer.     

Development of the equine vibration arthrometry system (EVAS) for the study of equine lameness

Friction caused at different articular surfaces in horses’ joints can produce various vibration signals. In this study, we collected and analyzed the articular vibration signals in the fetlock joints of a healthy horse, an aged horse, and a horse with laminitis using the equine vibration arthrometry system (EVAS). The data obtained from the EVAS enabled the researchers to easily understand the condition of the horses’ inner joints and to differentiate between the joints of healthy limbs and those of diseased limbs with musculoskeletal disorders. Furthermore, we also developed mathematical algorithms to analyze the data from the EVAS in this study. We identified two periodic waveform cycles for each horse’s step in the time domain. The negative waveform cycle first appeared at each aged horse’s step. The root-mean-square (RMS) values of both the positive and negative waveform cycles were significantly larger at the first periodic waveform in the aged horse. In contrast, the positive waveform cycle first appeared in each healthy horse’s step and the RMS values of the positive waveform cycle were significantly larger in the healthy horse. We also measured the energy of the articular vibration signals of the healthy and aged horses in the first and second periodic waveform cycle during each horse’s step. By analyzing and comparing articular vibration signals in these horses, we were able to determine which of the horses had a musculoskeletal disorder. EVAS is a simple, convenient and non-invasive method of identifying articular problems in equine joints.     

High-Pressure Elasticity of Iron and Anisotropy of Earth's Inner Core

A first principles theoretical approach shows that, at the density of the inner core, both hexagonal [hexagonal close-packed (hcp)] and cubic [face-centered-cubic (fcc)] phases of iron are substantially elastically anisotropic. A forward model of the inner core based on the predicted elastic constants and the assumption that the inner core consists of a nearly perfectly aligned aggregate of hcp crystals shows good agreement with seismic travel time anomalies that have been attributed to inner core anisotropy. A cylindrically averaged aggregate of fcc crystals disagrees with the seismic observations.     

Tumor cell rejection through terminal cell differentiation

Leukemic cells cultured in the presence of various conditioned media differentiate into macrophages. This finding suggested that the maintenance of undifferentiated state and self-renewal in vivo may be related to the inability of the host to generate an appropriate level of differentiation factor (DF). Evidence for this hypothesis was derived from experiments in vitro and in vivo with myeloid leukemia of rat. The following results were obtained: (i) in vitro, the percentage of cell differentiation at a fixed concentration of DF was inversely related to the concentration of cells; (ii) leukemic cell inoculates that were lethal to 7-day-old rats were rejected by 21-day-old rats; (iii) leukemic cells in diffusion chambers underwent differentiation in 21-day-old rats but not in 7-day-old rats; (iv) organs from 21-day-old rats contained more DF activity than those of 7-day-old rats; (v) treatment of rats with DF in diffusion chambers resulted in leukemic cell differentiation inside the chamber; and (vi) the development of leukemia in 7-day-old rats was aborted by treatment with DF. These results show that the differentiation of rat leukemia cells requires the appropriate level of DF. The proliferation of transplanted leukemia cells in 7-day-old rats goes unchecked because of inadequate generation of DF. Conversely, in the 21-day-old rats, rejection is accomplished by differentiation of the transplanted cells.     

红松多酚与真菌多糖联合清除ABTS自由基活性比较

本文比较了红松多酚(PKP)与黑木耳多糖(AAP)和灵芝孢子多糖(GLP)单一、联合使用清除ABTS自由基活性的作用。采用Chou-Talaly联合指数方法分析ABTS自由基清除实验结果,并对单一和联合使用的清除效果、联合指数(CI)、等效应图和剂量减少指数(DRI)进行分析评价。结果显示:单独使用红松多酚、黑木耳多糖、灵芝孢子多糖的IC50值分别为72.01 μg/mL、2.49 mg/mL、0.93 mg/mL,联合使用红松多酚和黑木耳多糖与红松多酚和灵芝孢子多糖(质量比为1∶3)后,IC50值分别为185.20和237.83 μg/mL。联合指数分析表明,从清除率10%到97%,红松多酚和黑木耳多糖的联合指数都小于1;等效应图显示联合使用红松多酚和黑木耳多糖使用剂量降低。剂量减少指数分析显示,从清除率5%到97%,红松多酚和黑木耳多糖的剂量减少指数都大于1,以上结果红松多酚和灵芝孢子多糖均表现不一致。说明红松多酚和黑木耳多糖之间存在协同清除ABTS自由基效应,但红松多酚和灵芝孢子多糖不存在。      

Differential lead retention in zircons: implications for nuclear waste containment

An innovative ultrasensitive technique was used for lead isotopic analysis of individual zircons extracted from granite core samples at depths of 960, 2170, 2900, 3930, and 4310 meters. The results show that lead, a relatively mobile element compared to the nuclear waste-related actinides uranium and thorium, has been highly retained at elevated temperatures (105 degrees to 313 degrees C) under conditions relevant to the burial of synthetic rock waste containers in deep granite holes.     

Sound velocities in iron to 110 gigapascals

The dispersion of longitudinal acoustic phonons was measured by inelastic x-ray scattering in the hexagonal closed-packed (hcp) structure of iron from 19 to 110 gigapascals. Phonon dispersion curves were recorded on polycrystalline iron compressed in a diamond anvil cell, revealing an increase of the longitudinal wave velocity (VP) from 7000 to 8800 meters per second. We show that hcp iron follows a Birch law for VP, which is used to extrapolate velocities to inner core conditions. Extrapolated longitudinal acoustic wave velocities compared with seismic data suggest an inner core that is 4 to 5% lighter than hcp iron.     

轴压套管构件的理论和试验分析及设计

针对轴压套管构件,分析了柔性套筒约束下内核的变形过程,提出了套管构件的设计公式、相关构造和内核的轴力-轴向位移非线性计算模型.理论与试验的对比研究表明：当内核与套筒的刚度比小于0.005时,内核可以由低阶屈曲模态变形到高阶屈曲模态;当内核与套筒的刚度比大于0.005时,内核将与套筒一起发生侧向失稳破坏.套筒较刚、内核长细比较小、内核-套筒净间隙较大,不利于显著提高内核的轴压承载力．内核外伸套筒部位是薄弱部位,为避免该部位的屈曲,需要减小该部位的长度,并对该薄弱部位予以加强.与传统圆钢管相比,套管构件中轴压内核的承载力有大幅度提高,同时内核的延性有较大改善.     

A Laboratory Model for Convection in Earth's Core Driven by a Thermally Heterogeneous Mantle

Thermal convection experiments in a rapidly rotating hemispherical shell suggest a model in which the convection in Earth's liquid outer core is controlled by a thermally heterogeneous mantle. Experiments show that heterogeneous boundary heating induces an eastward flow in the core, which, at a sufficiently large magnitude, develops into a large-scale spiral with a sharp front. The front separates the warm and cold regions in the core and includes a narrow jet flowing from the core-mantle boundary to the inner-core boundary. The existence of this front in the core may explain the Pacific quiet zone in the secular variation of the geomagnetic field and the longitudinally heterogeneous structure of the solid inner core.