Experimental study of the adaptive gain feature for improved position-sensitive ion spectroscopy with Timepix2

In the present work, we study the Timepix2 pixels’ high energy response in the so-called adaptive gain mode. Therefore, Timepix2 with a 500 μm thick silicon sensor was irradiated with protons of energies in the range from 400 keV to 2 MeV and α-particles of 5.5 MeV from 241Am. A novel method was developed to determine the energy deposit in single pixels of particle imprints, which are spread out over a set of neighbor pixels (cluster). We show that each pixel is capable of measuring the deposited energy from 4 keV up to ∼3.2 MeV. Reconstructing the full energy content of the clusters, we found relative energy resolutions ( σ E ) better than 2.7% and better than 4% for proton and α-particle data, respectively. In a simple experiment with a 5.5 MeV α-particle source, we demonstrate that energy losses in thin (organic) specimen can be spatially resolved, mapping out sample thickness variations, with a resolution around 1–2 μm, across the sensor area. The inherent spatial resolution of the device was determined to be 350 nm in the best case.

On shock-induced light-fluid-layer evolution

Shock-induced light-fluid-layer evolution is firstly investigated experimentally and theoretically. Specifically, three quasi-one-dimensional helium gas layers with different layer thicknesses are generated to study the wave patterns and interface motions. Six quasi-two-dimensional helium gas layers with diverse layer thicknesses and amplitude combinations are created to explore the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a light-fluid layer. Due to the multiple reflected shocks reverberating inside a light-fluid layer, the speeds of the two interfaces gradually converge, and the layer thickness saturates eventually. A general one-dimensional theory is adopted to describe the two interfaces’ motions and the layer thickness variations. It is found that, for the first interface, the end time of its phase reversal determines the influence of the reflected shocks on it. However, the reverberated shocks indeed lead to the second interface being more unstable. When the two interfaces are initially in phase, and the initial fluid layer is very thin, the two interfaces’ spike heads collide and stabilise the two interfaces. Linear and nonlinear models are successfully adopted by considering the interface-coupling effect and the reverberated shocks to predict the two interfaces’ perturbation growths in all regimes. The interfacial instability of a light-fluid layer is quantitatively compared with that of a heavy-fluid layer. It is concluded that the kind of waves reverberating inside a fluid layer significantly affects the fluid-layer evolution.

Forward Modeling and 3D Inversion of EM Data Collected Over the McArthur River Uranium Deposit in the Athabasca Basin, Canada

Detection and assessment of the deeply buried high-grade uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin rely on geophysical methods to map conductive rocks. Variable Quaternary surface cover can mask the anomalous signals from depth and affect interpretation of inverted conductivity models. We present the analysis of a number of EM modeling studies and two field data sets, to demonstrate the effects of varying Quaternary cover resistivity and thickness, on the ability to resolve the parameters of underlying sandstone, alteration, and basement conductors. Synthetic data, assuming a typical shallow EM sounding system and realistic resistivities found in the Athabasca Basin, show that resistivity and thickness parameters of the Quaternary cover can be separately recovered in cases where this cover is more conductive than the underlying sandstone, but not when the cover is significantly more resistive. A 3D modeling study shows that using airborne EM data, it is possible to detect a basement conductor of 20 S at a depth of at least 600 m below surface, even in the presence of Quaternary cover thickness variations of the up to 20% (40 m to 60 m). Furthermore, while Quaternary cover variations and deeper sandstone alteration can produce comparable anomalous signal amplitudes in a time-domain EM response, their effects are most visible in distinctly separate time windows. Analysis of a GPR field data set to map the thickness of Quaternary cover in the McArthur River area, indicates that this cover consists mostly of sandy tills and ranges in thickness from 0 to 117 m. Constrained 3D inversion of an airborne EM data set from the same area shows basement conductors consistent with the depth and location of a known fault. Elevated conductivity in the sandstone by up to a factor of two over the background values could indicate possible alteration.

Corona structures driven by plume-lithosphere interactions and evidence for ongoing plume activity on Venus

In the absence of global plate tectonics, mantle convection and plume-lithosphere interaction are the main drivers of surface deformation on Venus. Among documented tectonic structures, circular volcano-tectonic features known as coronae may be the clearest surface manifestations of mantle plumes and hold clues to the global Venusian tectonic regime. Yet, the exact processes underlying coronae formation and the reasons for their diverse morphologies remain controversial. Here, we use 3D thermomechanical numerical simulations of impingement of a thermal mantle plume upon the Venusian lithosphere to assess the origin and diversity of large Venusian coronae. The ability of the mantle plume to penetrate into the Venusian lithosphere results in four main outcomes: lithospheric dripping, short-lived subduction, embedded plume and plume underplating. During the first three scenarios, plume penetration and spreading induce crustal thickness variations that eventually lead to a final topographic isostasy-driven topographic inversion from circular trenches surrounding elevated interiors to raised rims surrounding inner depressions, as observed on many Venusian coronae. Different corona structures may represent not only different styles of plume-lithosphere interactions, but also different stages in evolution. A morphological analysis of large existing coronae leads to the conclusion that least 37 large coronae (including the largest Artemis corona) are active, providing evidence for widespread ongoing plume activity on Venus.

Moho Geometry of the Okinawa Trough Based on Gravity Inversion and Its Implications on the Crustal Nature and Tectonic Evolution

The Okinawa Trough (OT) is an incipient back-arc basin, but its crustal nature is still controversial. Gravity inversion along with sediment and lithospheric mantle density modeling are used to map the regional Moho depth and crustal thickness variations of the OT and its adjacent areas. The gravity inversion result shows that the crustal thicknesses are 17–22 km at the northern OT, 11–19 km at the central OT, and 7–19 km at the southern OT. Because of the crust with a thickness larger than 17 km, the slow southward arc movement, and scarce contemporaneous volcanisms, the northern OT should be in the stage of early back-arc extension. All of the moderate crustal thickness, high heat flow, and intense volcanism at the central OT indicate that this region is probably in the transitional stage from the back-arc rifting to the oceanic spreading. A crust that is only 7 km thick, lithosphere strength as low as the mid-ocean ridge, and MORB-similar basalts at the southern OT demonstrate that the southern OT is at the early stage of seafloor spreading.

Precise strain mapping of nano-twinned axial ZnTe/CdTe hetero-nanowires by scanning nanobeam electron diffraction

The occurrence of strain is inevitable for the growth of lattice mismatched heterostructures. It affects greatly the mechanical, electrical and optical properties of nano-objects. It is also the case for nanowires which are characterized by a high surface to volume ratio. Thus, the knowledge of the strain distribution in nano-objects is critically important for their implementation into devices. This paper presents an experimental data for II-VI semiconductor system. Scanning nanobeam electron diffraction strain mapping technique for hetero-nanowires characterized by a large lattice mismatch (>6% in the case of CdTe/ZnTe) and containing segments with nano-twins has been described. The spatial resolution of about 2 nm is 10 times better than obtained in synchrotron nanobeam systems. The proposed approach allows us to overcome the difficulties related to nanowire thickness variations during the acquisition of the nano-beam electron diffraction data. In addition, the choice of optimal parameters used for the acquisition of nano-beam diffraction data for strain mapping has been discussed. The knowledge of the strain distribution enables, in our particular case, the improvement of the growth model of extremely strained axial nanowires synthetized by vapor-liquid solid growth mechanism. However, our method can be applied for the strain mapping in nanowire heterostructures grown by any other method.

Impacts of model resolution on multiple prediction

Despite theoretical advancements in multiple identification and elimination, the application and success of these advancements is questionable in some cases and is limited to marine environments, especially deep water. In land seismic, however, a clear understanding of the internal multiple generators is not readily available and thus efforts to attenuate them are often quite ineffective. In this paper, we analyze, in the case of many thin layers, how the primaries and multiples are affected by fine-scale variations in the velocity model. Cross-coherence is used to measure the similarity of the original primaries/multiples and the ones generated from upscaled velocity models. The combined use of kurtosis and the cross-coherence method enables us to precisely quantify the impact of fine layering on multiples. Test results demonstrate that both surface-related multiples and internal multiples are much more sensitive than the primaries to thickness variations of the velocity model. As the thickness of each upscaled layer varies from 1m to 21m, multiples change rapidly, while primaries are almost the same. The high sensitivity of internal multiples on fine layering suggests that the detailed model information should be considered in model parameterization in the internal multiple removal, especially for model-driven methods.

Identification of seasonal varves in the lower Pliocene Bouse Formation, lower Colorado River Valley, and implications for Colorado Plateau uplift

The cause of Cenozoic uplift of the Colorado Plateau is one of the largest remaining problems of Cordilleran tectonics. Difficulty in discriminating between two major classes of uplift mechanisms, one related to lithosphere modification by low-angle subduction and the other related to active mantle processes following termination of subduction, is hampered by lack of evidence for the timing of uplift. The carbonate member of the Pliocene Bouse Formation in the lower Colorado River Valley southwest of the Colorado Plateau has been interpreted as estuarine, in which case its modern elevation of up to 330 m above sea level would be important evidence for late Cenozoic uplift. The carbonate member includes laminated marl and claystone interpreted previously in at least one locality as tidal, which is therefore of marine origin. We analyzed lamination mineralogy, oxygen and carbon isotopes, and thickness variations to discriminate between a tidal versus seasonal origin. Oxygen and carbon isotopic analysis of two laminated carbonate samples shows an alternating pattern of lower δ18O and δ13C associated with micrite and slightly higher δ18O and δ13C associated with siltstone, which is consistent with seasonal variation. Covariation of alternating δ18O and δ13C also indicates that post-depositional chemical alteration did not affect these samples. Furthermore, we did not identify any periodic thickness variations suggestive of tidal influence. We conclude that lamination characteristics indicate seasonal genesis in a lake rather than tidal genesis in an estuary and that the laminated Bouse Formation strata provide no constraints on the timing of Colorado Plateau uplift.

SEISMIC RESONANCE: WAVELET-FREE REFLECTIVITY RETRIEVAL VIA MODIFIED CEPSTRAL DECOMPOSITION

Spectral decomposition is a proven tool in seismic interpretation, aiding interpreters to highlight channels, map temporal bed thickness and other geological discontinuities. Once seismic data is spectrally decomposed, notch patterns in the amplitude spectra are indicative of the reservoir layer’s thickness and/or its interval velocity. Additional cepstral decomposition will allow direct extraction of bed time-thickness or arrival time under particular reflectivity series setup. We build on these observations to establish a more generalized workflow for reflectivity retrieval method without the need to understand the details of the wavelet, provided the starting seismic is stably phased via phase correction during processing. We demonstrate reflector time and its ‘apparent strength’ can be identified in a transformed seismic resonance domain resulted from a modified cepstrum analysis. In this domain, each reflector can be characterized from obvious linear hot spots. The timing and strength of those linear hot spots will reveal reflector times and scaled reflectivity coefficients. This new method is subsequently applied for thickness prediction of a target reservoir in a complex geological setting, with large thickness variations and weak impedance contrast with underlying lithology previously complicating identification of base-reservoir. In a deep-water field blind test, the sand thicknesses evaluated from this method are found to be close to true vertical thickness found in wells.