Formation of replicating saponite from a gel in the presence of oxalate: implications for the formation of clay minerals in carbonaceous chondrites and the origin of life

The potential role of clay minerals in the abiotic origin of life has been the subject of ongoing debate for the past several decades. At issue are the clay minerals found in a class of meteorites known as carbonaceous chondrites. These clay minerals are the product of aqueous alteration of anhydrous mineral phases, such as olivine and orthopyroxene, that are often present in the chondrules. Moreover, there is a strong correlation in the occurrence of clay minerals and the presence of polar organic molecules. It has been shown in laboratory experiments at low temperature and ambient pressure that polar organic molecules, such as the oxalate found in meteorites, can catalyze the crystallization of clay minerals. In this study, we show that oxalate is a robust catalyst in the crystallization of saponite, an Al- and Mg-rich, trioctahedral 2:1 layer silicate, from a silicate gel at 60°C and ambient pressure. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis of the saponite treated with octadecylammonium (n(C)=18) cations revealed the presence of 2:1 layer structures that have variable interlayer charge. The crystallization of these differently charged 2:1 layer silicates most likely occurred independently. The fact that 2:1 layer silicates with variable charge formed in the same gel has implications for our understanding of the origin of life, as these 2:1 clay minerals most likely replicate by a mechanism of template-catalyzed polymerization and transmit the charge distribution from layer to layer. If polar organic molecules like oxalate can catalyze the formation of clay-mineral crystals, which in turn promote clay microenvironments and provide abundant adsorption sites for other organic molecules present in solution, the interaction among these adsorbed molecules could lead to the polymerization of more complex organic molecules like RNA from nucleotides on early Earth.     

Near Earth Vortices Driving of Field Aligned Currents Based on Magnetosphere Multiscale and Swarm Observations

A long-standing mystery in the study of Field-Aligned Currents (FACs) has been that:how the currents are generated and why they appear to be much stronger at high altitudes than in the ionosphere.Here we present two events of magnetotail FACs observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Spacecraft (MMS) on 1st July and 14th July 2016,to show how the Substorm Current Wedges (SCW) were formed.The results show that particles were transferred heading towards the Earth during the expansion phase of substorms. The azimuthal flow formed clockwise (counter-clockwise) vortex-like motion,and then generated downward (upward) FACs on the tailward/poleward side of the distorted field with opposite vorticity on their Earthward/equatorward side.We also analyzed the Region 1 FACs observed by the Earth Explorer Swarm spacecraft on 1st July 2016 and found that they were associated with FACs observed by MMS,although differing by a factor of 10.This difference suggests that either there was the closure of the currents at altitudes above 500 km or the currents were not strictly parallel to B and closed at longitudes away from where they were generated.      

非对称多站在目标跟踪中的精度几何递变

现有靶场测量系统的笛氏坐标精确度估计取决于目标的位置以及测量仪器的数量、位置和精确度等因素。本报告分析了测量仪器的非对称布站问题。这是以往研究成果的推广,并且处理了更为一般性的问题。研究结果证明,对于测角仪器,当测站布局为非对称时,误差估计与所用的方位参考系有一定的关系。导出了几类布站几何的误差表达式,并为某类布站几何找出了最优的几何布站方案。     

高能炸药包复工艺效果的研究

用高聚物对HMX和RDX等敏感高能炸药晶体进行包复后可降低其感度。采用配备能量色散X射线能谱仪作元素分析的扫描电子显微镜,在显微镜图象与高聚物氟X射线图象比较的基础上,有可能判断晶体包复的质量。     

新型碳纤维复合材料棒和棒连接元件的研制与生产

1.对机械结构的考虑棒式结构件已经在许多领域中得到应用,例如:作为横梁、支柱、操作杆、骨架棒、框架和其他类似的产品。由于重量的缘故,上述结构件都用管子,而这些管子都是用碳纤维增强复合材料制成的,主要是利用它重量轻的优点。     

电子束淬火（续一）

这是本课题三篇系列论文的最后一篇,概述了电子束淬火的效能和优点。对电子束淬火在工程技术领域内的实际应用,也作了详尽的阐述。本文的前一部分刊登于本刊91年第2期。     

用热塑性塑料代替现在的先进复合材料

飞行动力学实验室与材料实验室协作,正在共同研究用石墨/热塑性塑料结构件代替石墨/环氧构件的可能性问题。其办法是首先将热塑性塑料/石墨材料固化成平板状板材,随后热压成型,利用这种办法可以成型各种复杂外形的构件,而所用的劳动工时及     

使用反射系数电桥的谐振器自动测量系统

为了精确确定石英晶体谐振器的等效电路参数,已研制出一种自动测量系统。该系统的主要部分是 HP4191A 射频阻抗分析仪,它是一种使用反射系数电桥而频率范围为1到1000MHz 的可程控仪器。通过使用合格的阻抗标准,就可以使测量结果溯源于国家标准。完整的测量系统由阻抗分析仪、可程控频率综合器和合适的控制器组成。已经制作出一种专用设备来提供标准的晶体组件。介绍了该系统的硬件和主要软件的特点,并且给出了测量例子。除了测量等效电路参数外,此系统还允许用一个模拟负载电容来测量谐振频率和电阻。也可以测量寄生模的参数。此系统还适用于 SAW 谐振器以及体波谐振器的测量。     

孔、轮廓和表面(八)

第六章座标镗床的原理及应用(一) 座标镗床的一个重要特点在于能够直接而又迅速地获得最高定位精度。加上它用途广、切削效率高,故座标镗床在机械工业各部门的应用迅速扩大,从模具制造到产品生产线,从实验室到检验部门均已有采用。正因为座标镗床的用途如此广泛,因此强调机床的多种加工功能则是理所当然的了。为了更好地评价座标镗床的实用价值,我们对具