Interplanetary dust: trace element analysis of individual particles by neutron activation

Although micrometeorites of cometary origin are thought to be the dominant component of interplanetary dust, it has never been possible to positively identify such micrometer-sized particles. Two such particles have been identified as definitely micrometeorites since their abundances of volatile and nonvolatile trace elements closely match those of primitive solar system material.     

Eye diseases in Siberian husky dogs

A full ophthalmic examination was performed on 40 Siberian husky dogs using direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, gonloscopy and nasolacrimal cannulation. Eight (20%) of the dogs were found to have distichia, 10 (25%) had excessive medial caruncular hairs, 8 (20%) had absence, displacement, or narrowing of the nasolacrimal puncta, 2 (5%) had bilateral corneal crystalline opacities, and 2 (5%) had unilateral areas of lateral corneal lipidosis. Fifty percent of the dogs had some abnormality of the iridocorneal (drainage) angle. However, in only one of these was the deformity severe enough to require glaucoma prophylaxis. An association between blue iris colour and malformation of the iridocorneal angle was noted.     

Micrometeorite craters discovered on chondrule-like objects from kapoeta meteorite

Craters attributable to hypervelocity impacts of micrometeorites have been discovered on rare chondrule-like objects from the gas-rich meteorite Kapoeta. These chondrule-like objects, probably generated by impacts themselves, provide further evidence for the regolith origin of Kapoeta. The micrometeorite flux at the time of formation of the meteorites was probably an order of magnitude higher than the present flux, but the solar luminosity could not have been higher than 1.7 times its present value.     

Silicate spherules from deep-sea sediments: confirmation of extraterrestrial origin

Silicate spherules produced by atmospheric melting of meteoric bodies are probably the most common form of extraterrestrial material on the earth. It has never been possible to positively identify such particles although it has been known for more than a century that silicate spherules of suspected extraterrestrial origin are present in deep-sea sediments. One such spherule has been identified as definitely extraterrestrial since its abundances of nonvolatile trace elements closely match those of primitive solar system material.     

Western pine beetle: field response to its sex pheromone and a synergistic host terpene, myrcene

In the field, both sexes of the western pine beetle, Dendroctonus brevicomis, are attracted by the female-produced bicyclic ketal exo-brevicomin; this response is enhanced by myrcene (a constituent of the beetle's host, ponderosapine), which is not an attractant by itself. This synergism may be part of the phenomenon of the mass attack on its host. Temnochila virescens chlorodia, one of the principal insectan predators of this beetle, is attracted by exo-brevicomin alone.     

"Coulomb Staircase" at Room Temperature in a Self-Assembled Molecular Nanostructure

Double-ended aryl dithiols [alpha,alpha'-xylyldithiol (XYL) and 4,4'-biphenyldithiol] formed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold(111) substrates and were used to tether nanometer-sized gold clusters deposited from a cluster beam. An ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscope was used to image these nanostructures and to measure their current-voltage characteristics as a function of the separation between the probe tip and the metal cluster. At room temperature, when the tip was positioned over a cluster bonded to the XYL SAM, the current-voltage data showed "Coulomb staircase" behavior. These data are in good agreement with semiclassical predictions for correlated single-electron tunneling and permit estimation of the electrical resistance of a single XYL molecule (approximately18 ± 12 megohms).     

Placers of cosmic dust in the blue ice lakes of greenland

A concentration process occurring in the melt zone of the Greenland ice cap has produced the richest known deposit of cosmic dust on the surface of the earth. Extraterrestrial particles collected from this region are well preserved and are collectable in large quantities. The collected particles are generally identical to cosmic spheres found on the ocean floor, but a pure glass type was discovered that has not been seen in deep-sea samples. Iron-rich spheres are conspicuously rare in the collected material.     

Cometary particles: thin sectioning and electron beam analysis

Thin sections (500 to 1000 angstroms thick) of individual micrometeorites (5 to 15 micrometers) have been prepared with an ultramicrotome equipped with a diamond knife. Electron microscopic examination of these sections has revealed the internal structures of chondritic micrometeorites, and a subset of highly porous, fragile particles has been identified. Delicate meteoritic materials such as these are characteristic of debris from cometary meteors.